'II 


I 


-ii 


.  ^  ^  />  C~Oy  ^  i^^ 


Destroying  the  Tea. 


HISTORY     OF    BOSTON. 


BY  ROBIN   CARVER. 


BOSTON : 

LILLY,    WAIT,    COLMAN,    AND    HOLDEN. 

1834. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1834, 

By  LiiXY,  Wait,  Colmaft,  &  Holden, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


CONTENTS.  Vll 

XI.  ^ 

Anecdote  of  the  Boston  boys  and  General  Gage,  importations  of  tea. 
Meeting  of  the  inhabitants.  Anecdote  of  the  Tea  Party.  Closing  of 
the  port  of  Boston.  Arrival  of  soldiers.  Their  depredations.  Alarm. 
Provincial  Congress,  82 — 87 

XII. 

Col.  Nesbitand  the  countryman.  Battles  of  Lexington  and  Concord. 
Retreat  of  the  regular  troops.  Blockade  of  Boston.  Governor's  pro- 
clamation. Battle  of  Bunker's  Hill.  Burning  of  Charlestown.  Siege 
of  Boston.     General  Washington.     Proclamation.     Distress,       88 — 96 

XIII. 

Anecdotes  of  the  siege.    Bullets  and  Beetles.    Scarcity  of  fuel.    Out- 

•  •'    -^S^^  ^^  ^^^^  Soldiers.     Attack   on   Charlestown.     Amusing   incident. 

Wasjiington  takes  possession  of  Dorchester  Heights.     Evacuation  of 

V  .   .Bffst*n.     Entry  of  the  American  army,  97 — ^101 

*  ^  •*■ 

'.-/^■^  XIV. 

\  .;  -  John  Hancock.  Proclamation  of  peace.  Josiah  Quincy,  Jr.  His  re- 
ply to  a  menacing  letter.  His  visit  to  England.  Deatii  on  his  voyage 
home.    James  Otis.    His  derangement.    Residt.'nce  at  Andovcr.    Death, 

102—105 

XV. 
Early  patriots.     John  Hancock.     His  birtli  and  education.     lie  re- 
ceives  a   large   fortune.     Anecdote.     Chosen    president   of  Congress. 
Elected  Governor.     His  death.     Character.     Anecdote,  100 — 109 

XVI. 
Samuel  Adams.    Education.    Entrance  into  public  life.    Hutchinson's 
opinion  of  him.     Anecdotes.     Sent   to   Congress.     Character.    Anec- 
dote. 110—113 


via  CONTENTS. 

XVII.  "^ 

Old  manners  and   customs.     Hackney  coaches.     Fashion  of''^dress. 

Marriage  custom.     Wigs  and  powder.     Taking  tea.     Articles  of^apparel. 

Butcher's   shop.    Amusing  anecdote.    Old   State   House.     Whipping 

post.     Beacon  Hill.  114—118 

XVIII. 

War  of  1814  with  England.  Chesapeake  lying  in  Boston  harbor. 
Battle  with  the  Shannon.     Death  of  Lawrence.    Reflections.     119 — 122 

XIX. 
Visit  of  Lafayette.     His  early  Adventures.     His  arrival  at  Boston  in 
1824.     His  Welcome.     Great  Parade.     The  Schools  make  a  processioOi*;',    ^ 
Laying  the  Corner  stone  of  Bunker  Hill  Monument.     Visits  of  jthe.,*". 
Presidents.     Reflections.  123 — 127" 

XX.  . 

Reflections.  Bridges  and  avenues  to  the  city.  View  from  the  Sea. 
Approach  of  a  stranger.  His  reflections.  The  harbor.  Old  times. 
Faneuil  Hall  Market.  Faneuil  Hall.  May-Fair.  Institution  for  the 
Blind,  128—136 

XXI. 

North  End.  Common.  State  House.  View  from  its  Dome.  Tre- 
mont  House.     Theatre.     Churches,  137 — 142 

XXII. 

Wharves.  Schools.  The  Athenseum.  Gallery  of  Paintings.  Na- 
hant.  Roads.  Charlestown.  Monument.  Navy  yard.  State  prison. 
Cambridge.   Harvard  College.    Mount  Auburn.    Conclusion,     143 — 149 


\ 


F 


73.3 

HISTORY  OF  BOSTON. 


CHAPTER   I. 

Two  Hundred  years  Ago.  The  May  Flower.  Landing  at 
Plymouth.  The  First  Winter.  Welcoyne  of  Samoset. 
Visit  from  the  Indians.  Blount  Wolaston.  Fleet  sails  for 
America.  Arrival.  Settlement  at  Charlcstown.  Great 
Distress. 

1.  It  is  now  about  two  hundred  and  thirteen  years,  since 
the  first  settlers  of  New  England  lauded  at  Plymouth.  Be- 
fore that  time,  a  few  voyagers  and  fishermen  had  touched 
upon  this  part  of  the  North  American  continent,  but  none 
had  remained.  Tiiick  forests  darkened  the  places  that  arc 
now  crowded  with  happy  villages.  Waters,  which  arc  now 
ploughed  by  mighty  ships,  laden  with  the  productions  of  far 
distant  countries,  were  then  only  disturbed  by  the  frail  and 


10  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

silent  canoe  of  the  Indian.  Places  now  busy  with  the  hum 
of  active  and  laborious  industry,  were  the  solitary  hunting 
grounds  of  an  indolent  and  savage  race. 

2.  In  December  1620,  a  small  vessel  called  the  May 
Flower  was  beating  about  in  a  stormy  sea,  on  an  unknown 
coast.  On  board  of  this  vessel  were  strong  men,  with  their 
wives  and  tender  children.  They  had  fled  with  all  that 
they  loved  from  England,  their  native  country,  because  they 
had  been  persecuted  for  refusing  to  comply  with  certain  reli- 
gious forms  and  ceremonies.  They  preferred  to  live  in  a  de- 
sert where  they  could  worship  God  in  peace,  and  in  sim- 
plicity. 

3.  On  the  twenty-second  of  December,  the  wave-driven 
pilgrims  landed,  and  resolved  to  commence  a  settlement. 
A  large  fragment  of  the  rock  on  which  they  first  stepped  is 
still  preserved,  as  a  sacred  memorial  of  this  event.  They 
chose  Mr  John  Carver  for  their  governor,  and  named  the 
jpot  which  they  had  resolved  to  make  their  home,  New- 
Plymouth. 

4.  The  season  which  followed  was  comfortless  and  severe 
to  them.  The  fatigue  and  suffering  to  which  they  were  ex- 
posed caused  much  sickness.  Many  of  their  number  died. 
The  survivors  were  filled  with  sorrow  for  the  loss  of  their 
friends,  and  anxiety  for  their  own  fate.  By  good  fortune 
the  spring  was  an  early  one,  and  brought  a  welcome  relief 
from  the  chill  blasts  of  winter. 

5.  It  was  not  till  after  some  months  that  the  white  men 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  11 

spoke  with  a  native  of  the  country.  They  knew  that  it  was 
inhabited  by  savage  tribes  ;  they  had  sometimes  seen  a 
few  of  the  Indians  at  a  distance,  and  had  once  been  visited 
by  a  shower  of  arrows. 

6.  On  the  sixteenth  of  March,  1621,  they  were  surprised 
by  the  sudden  approach  of  an  Indian.  He  advanced  boldly 
alone  into  the  street  of  Plymouth,  and  exclaimed,  '  Wel- 
come Englishmen  !  Welcome  Englishmen  !'  They  were 
much  astonished  to  hear  him  speak  in  their  own  language. 
He  told  them  that  he  had  learned  it  from  the  fishermen  who 
had  sometimes  been  upon  the  coast.  He  informed  them, 
that  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  place  where  tXiCy  were  seated 
had  died,  about  four  years  before,  of  an  extraordinary  plague. 
He  also  told  them  that  his  name  was  Samoset,  and  that  be 
was  the  chief  of  a  tribe. 

7.  Samoset  was  a  tall  straight  man,  with  black  hair,  short 
before,  but  hanging  long  behind.  He  had  a  bow  and  two 
arrows.  The  pilgrims  received  him  kindly,  and  gave  him^ 
some  biscuit  and  butter,  cheese,  pudding,  and  a  piece  of 
roast  duck.  The  chief  was  quite  pleased  with  his  treat, 
and  in  return  told  the  new  comers  a  great  many  useful 
things. 

8.  The  next  morning  Samoset  paid  them  a  visit  with  five 
other  natives.  Some  of  them  were  clothed  in  deer  skins. 
Some  wore  long  stockings  that  covered  the  whole  legs,  and 
pieces  of  leather  about  their  waists.  The  chief  was  distin- 
guished by  having  the  skin  of  a  wild  cat  on  his  arm.     They 


12  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

were  tall  men,  with  long  black  hair,  stuck  full  of  feathers, 
and  painted  to  the  excess  of  the  fashion.  After  eating  and 
drinking  heartily  Avith  the  English,  they  amused  them  by 
some  Indian  dances  and  songs. 

9.  In  the  course  of  four  or  five  years,  several  English 
settlements  were  made  at  different  points  of  Massachusetts 
Bay.  One  was  made  in  1625,  by  Captain  Wolaston,  who 
brought  over  a  party  and  placed  them  in  a  spot  now  called 
Braintree.  He  chose  for  this  settlement  a  hill  which  he 
named  Mount  Wolaston. 

10.  Affairs  were  going  on  happily  at  this  settlement,  when 
the  captain,  w j  h  a  part  of  the  company,  resolved  to  go  on 
a  voyage  to  Viri,inia.  Among  the  men  left  behind  there  was 
a  noisy,  riotous  fellow,  by  the  name  of  Thomas  Morton. 
This  man  determined  to  do  some  mischief. 

11.  One  night,  soon  after  the  captain's  departure,  3Iorton 
called  the  men  together,  and  gave  them  a  plenty  of  punch. 
As  soon  as  they  had  become  a  little  merry  and  excited, 
Morton  said  to  them  —  '  Now,  my  good  fellows,  the  captain 
is  gone,  —  suppose  we  turn  out  the  lieutenant,  and  we 
shall  then  be  able  to  do  as  we  please.' 

12.  The  men  consented,  and  the  lieutenant  was  forced  to 
give  up  his  authority.  All  was  now  changed  at  Mount 
Wolaston.  They  passed  their  days  in  eating,  drinking,  and 
dancing  about  a  May-pole.  It  was  a  continued  feast  and 
riot.  There  was  no  power  and  no  obedience.  Each  did  as 
he  liked,  for  there  was  no  one  to  call  another  to  account. 


Jndian  Dance. 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  15 

*  18.  They  altered  the  name  of  the  settlement  to  Merry 
Mount.  In  order  to  support  their  idleness  and  excess,  they 
endeavored  to  make  friends  of  the  natives,  by  teaching  them 
the  use  of  fire-arms.  The  Indians  soon  became  better 
marksmen  than  the  English.  They  were  delighted  with 
their  new  weapons,  threw  away  their  bows  and  arrows,  and 
were  willing  to  give  any  price  for  guns,  powder  and  shot. 

14.  This  was  against  tiie  express  orders  of  the  king  of 
England.  It  was  unlawful  to  trade  with  the  Indians  in  any 
sort  of  warlike  stsres.  Captain  Miles  Standish  was  accord- 
ingly sent  with  some  companions  from  Plymouth  to  put  a 
stop  to  this  traffic.  He  took  Morton  and  his  followers  pris- 
oners, and  the  colony  at  Mount  "NVolaston  was  broken  up. 

15.  In  March,  1630,  there  was  a  fleet  of  fourteen  vessels 
at  anchor  in  the  English  Channel,  ready  to  set  sail  for  Ame- 
rica. On  board  of  them  were  several  hundred  men,  women 
and  children.  They  were  provided  with  necessaries  for  u 
long  voyage,  and  subsistence  for  some  time  after  their  arri- 
val. Tiiere  were  carpenters,  blacksmiths,  and  men  of  dif- 
ferent trades  ;   and  every  care  was  taken  in  order  to  settle 

a  strong  and  lasting  colony.  3* 

16.  During  the  voyage  of  this  fleet  across  the  ocean,  the 
weather  was  very  variable.  Sometimes  every  thing  would 
be  quiet  and  mild,  and  it  would  seem  that^there  was  not  a 
breeze  stirring  to  roughen  the  waters.  On  other  days,  the 
rain  fell,  the  winds  blew,  the  waves  swelled  and  roared,  and 
the  vessels  were  driven  about  as  if  under  no  human  control. 


16  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

17.  Very  strict  rules  were  observed  during  the  whole  pas- 
sage. Two  young  men  disputed  about  some  trifle,  and  were 
carried  so  far  by  their  anger  as  to  come  to  blows.  To  make 
an  example  of  them,  they  were  sentenced  to  walk  upon 
deck  till  night,  with  their  hands  tied  behind  them. 

18.  By  the  sixth  of  July,  thirteen  out  of  fourteen  of  the 
ships  had  arrived  in  JVew  England.  They  anchored  in  the 
harbor  of  Salem.  Only  fifteen  of  the  passengers  had  died 
during  the  voyage.  On  the  eighth  of  July,  a  public  thanks- 
giving was  kept  through  all  the  plantations. 

19.  A  considerable  number  soon  left  Salem,  and  made  a 
settlement  at  Charlestown.  Among  these  was  Mr  John 
Winthrop,  who  had  been  appointed  governor.  Tents  and 
cottages  were  hastily  raised  in  the  new  town,  and  a  build- 
ing, called  the  great  house,  was  erected  for  the  public 
officers. 

20.  Great  distress,  however,  began  to  prevail.  Many 
were  taken  sick  and  died.  They  suffered  very  much  from 
the  want  of  water.  There  was  only  one  spring  in  the  place, 
which  was  poor  and  brackish,  and  so  situated  as  only  to  be 
reached  at  low  tide.  It  was  the  want  of  good  water  at  this 
place,  that  led  to  the  immediate  settlement  of  Boston. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Trmormtain.  Mr  Blachstonc.  Settlement  of  Boston.  Death 
of  Lady  Johnson.  Mr  Johnson.  Condition  of  the  Colony. 
Arrival  of  the  Lion.  Whipping.  Vessel  built.  Month- 
ly Trainings.  Mr  Josias.  Festival.  Increase  of  Boston. 
Old  account  of  the  Toicn. 

1.  On  the  south  side  of  the  moutli  of  Cliarlcs  river,  there 
is  a  smnll  peninsula  of  liigh  ground,  about  a  mile  in  breadth, 
and  two  and  three  (juarters  in  length.  A  peninsula  is  a  por- 
tion of  land  almost  surrounded  by  water.  In  1G30,  when 
seen  by  the  settlers  at  Charlcstown,  on  the  op])osite  side  of 
the  river,  this  spot  presented  the  appearance  of  three  large 
hills  ;  one  of  which  was  crowned  by  two  or  tliree  smaller 
hills.  They  accordingly  gave  it  the  name  of  Trimountain. 
The  Indian  name  was  Shawmut. 

2.  These  hills  were  covered  with  bushes  and  trees. 
There  was  only  one  little  cottage  in  the  whole  place.  The 
Indians,  who  had  formerly  lived  there,  had  been  swept  away 


18  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

by  a  pestilence.     Mr  William   Blackstone  was  the  only  in- 
habitant, and  the  first  white  man  who  ever  slept  on  Shawmut. 

3.  Mr  Blackstone  had  found  a  spring  of  very  excellent 
water  at  Shawmut,  and  was  desirous  that  the  poor  suffer- 
ers at  Charlestowu  should  partake  of  it.  He  accordingly 
sent  to  Governor  Winthrop,  and  invited  him  over  to  his  side 
of  the  river.  The  chief  persons  of  the  company  were  induc- 
ed, by  this  invitation,  to  remove  immediately. 

4.  The  foundation  of  a  town  was  laid,  by  the  erection  of 
several  small  cottages  ;  and  on  the  seventh  of  September 
1630,  it  was  ordered  that  Trimountain  should  be  called 
BOSTON.  This  was  the  commencement  of  what  has  since 
become  a  great  city. 

5.  The  change  of  residence  did  not  restore  the  sufferers 
to  immediate  health.  The  sickness  still  continued,  and  by 
December  over  two  hundred  of  their  number  had  died. 
Among  them  was  Lady  Arabella  Johnson,  a  woman  of  great 
resolution  and  virtue,  very  much  beloved  by  all  the  colony. 
She  died  in  the  latter  part  of  the  summer,  and  was  buried 
at  Salem. 

6.  The  death  of  her  husband  soon  followed.  He  was  one 
of  the  wealthiest  and  most  venerated  of  the  colonists.  It 
was  owing  in  a  great  measure  to  his  efforts,  that  the  settle- 
ment of  Boston  was  determined  upon.  At  his  own  re- 
quest, he  was  buried  in  a  corner  of  the  lot,  which  had  been 
marked  out  for  his  house  and  garden.     This  was  in  the  spot 


HISTORY    OP    BOSTON.  19 

where  the  burial  ground  attached  to  the  Stone  Chapel  now 
stands. 

7.  Notwithstanding  all  the  sickness  and  distress,  the  colo- 
nists kept  up  a  good  heart,  and  continued  to  busy  them- 
selves in  clearing  away  the  land,  and  building  their  poor 
cottages.  They  had  arrived  too  late  in  the  season  to  plant 
any  thing,  and  their  provisions  began  to  fail  them.  When 
the  winter  set  in,  it  was  very  cold  and  stormy,  and  they  had 
but  little  to  eat.  You  may  well  suppose  that  they  were 
anxious  to  hear  from  their  friends  on  the  other  side  of  the 
ocean. 

8.  Some  weeks  thus  lingered  on,  and  tiicy  were  begin- 
ning to  fear  that  they  might  perish  of  hunger.  The  long 
winter  nights  were  dull  and  cheerless,  and  when  the  snow 
and  tempest  descended  on  their  solitary  huts,  and  the  chill 
winds  whistled  through  the  bare  forest  trees,  they  thought 
of  their  comfortable  homes  in  England,  and  perhaps  with  a 
thought  of  regret.  But  this  soon  passed  away,  and  amid 
all  their  sorrows  and  suftcrings  they  relied,  with  a  humble 
but  firm  confidence,  on  the  goodness  of  an  overruling 
Providence. 

9.  It  was  on  the  fifth  of  February  1G31,  that  Governor 
Wintlirop  was  walking  upon  the  elevation  tliat  is  now  called 
Fort  Hill.  lie  was  full  of  sadness  for  the  distress  of  his 
companions.  As  he  raised  his  eyes,  and  directed  them  to 
the  waters  of  the  bay,  tliey  caught  the  glad  sight  of  a  sail 


20 


HISTORY    OP    BOSTON. 


in  the  distance.     It  was  a  messenger  from  his  friends  in  the 
old  world. 

10.  The  little  colony  was  immediately  informed  of  this 
happy  circumstance.  They  soon  thronged  to  the  sea-shore 
to  welcome  their  visitors.  Men,  women  and  children,  hur- 
ried to  embrace  their  friends,  and  hear  what  had  happened 
in  the  land  they  had  left  behind.  The  ship  proved  to  be  the 
Lion,  under  the  command  of  Captain  William  Pierce.  It 
was  laden  with  supplies  of  food  and  clothing,  which  afford- 
ed the  colony  great  relief. 

11.  To  give  you  an  idea  of  the  old  manners  and  customs 
of  Boston,  I  will  tell  you  a  few  things  that  may  seem  a  little 
singular.  It  was  the  fashion  at  this  time,  and  a  great  many 
years  afterwards,  to  have  those  who  broke  the  laws  publicly 
whipped.  A  man,  for  instance,  was  whipped  for  stealing  a 
loaf  of  bread,  and  another  for  shooting  a  fowl  on  Sunday. 
Another  was  sentenced  to  pay  a  fine  of  five  pounds,  or  be 
whipped,  for  selling  a  quack  medicine. 

12.  On  the  fourth  of  July  1631,  the  first  vessel  built  in 
the  colonies  was  launched.  It  had  been  built  by  the  direc- 
tion of  Governor  Winthrop,  and  was  called  the  Blessing  of 
the  Bay.  During  the  ensuing  summer  and  fall,  this  bark 
made  several  little  voyages  along  the  coast. 

13.  About  this  time,  the  inhabitants  were  ordered  to  be  train- 
ed every  month.  This  was  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  them 
in  readiness  to  fight,  if  they  were  attacked  by  the  Indians. 


Launch  of  Blessing  of  the  Bay, 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  23 

Six  watchmen  were  also  chosen  to  keep  guard  during  the 
night.  In  September  1G;U,  a  ]Mr  Josias  stole  some  articles 
from  the  Indians.  He  was  discovered  and  fined.  In  addi- 
tion to  this  punishment,  he  was  condemned  to  lose  the  title 
of  '  Mister,'  and  to  be  called  plain  Josias. 

14.  In  November  of  tlie  same  year  the  Lion  again  arrived 
at  Boston.  Anrong  the  sixty  passengers,  whom  it  brought 
from  England,  were  the  children  and  wife  of  the  governor, 
and  the  Rev.  John  Eliot,  who  afterwards  devoted  himself  to 
teaching  and  civilizing  the  Indians.  He  was  a  benevolent 
and  able  man  of  great  worth,  and  his  labors  were  crowned 
with  success. 

15.  The  inhabitants  of  Boston  determined  to  take  this  oc- 
casion to  show  publicly  their  great  respect  and .  esteem  for 
the  governor.  They  ordered  the  vessel  to  be  detained  below 
the  islands  two  days,  that  they  might  find  time  to  make 
preparations  to  receive  his  lady.  ^ 

IC.  When  the  governor  and  his  family  were  passing  in 
the  barge  to  the  shore,  the  captain  of  the  Lion  saluted  them 
with  a  discharge  of  several  guns.  On  landing,  they  were 
received  with  due  military  honors.  The  officers  had  pro- 
vided a  guard  for  their  escort,  and  they  were  welcomed  with 
volleys  of  small  arms  and  three  pieces  of  artillery. 

17.  A  number  of  people  had  assembled  from  the  neigh- 
boring villages  to  witness  the  ceremony.  Numerous  pre- 
sents of  venison,  kids,  geese  and  partridges  were  brought 
to  the  governor,  and  every  thing  was  as  joyful  and  happy  as 


34'  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

possible.     It  was  the  first  show  of  any  thing  like  a  public 
festival  in  New  England. 

18.  Boston  soon  began  to  take  a  stand  above  all  the  other 
towns.  It  was  thought  the  best  place  in  the  Bay  to  hold 
public  meetings.  A  house  of  correction  was  built  by  order 
of  the  court  of  assistants ;  and  fortifications  were  erected 
upon  an  eminence,  which  afterwards  received  the  name  of 
Fort  Hill.  This  same  Court  ordered  in  1632,  that  no  person 
should  take  tobacco  puhlicly ;  and  that  every  one  should  pay 
a  penny  for  every  time  of  taking  tobacco  in  any  place. 

19.  The  number  of  inhabitants  increased  rajiidly.  Two 
ferry  boats  were  kept  upon  Charles  river,  to  accommodate 
the  passengers  between  Charlestown  and  Boston.  '  This 
town,'  says  a  traveller  who  wrote  in  1633,  'although  it  be 
neither  the  greatest  nor  the  richest,  yet  is  the  thost  noted 
and  frequented,  being  the  centre  of  the  plantation  where 
the  monthly  courts  are  kept.  Here  likewise  dwells  the  gov- 
ernor. This  place  hath  very  good  land,  affording  rich  corn- 
fields and  fruitful  gardens,  having  likewise  sweet  and  pleas- 
ant springs.' 


CHAPTER   III. 

Arrival  of  Mr  Cotton.  Extravagance.  Wearing  veils. 
Chicatabot.  His  vi.<if  to  Goc.  WintJirop.  Nciv  suit.  In- 
dians- at  church.  Mr  Ilcnnj  Vane.  Elected  governor. 
Mrs  Hutchinson.  Field  election.  Mr  Vane''s  return.  Mrs 
Hutchinson  killed  by  the  Indians.  The  wood  cutters. 
Great  musters.     Stonj  of  the  Pig. 

1.  In  1G3:J,  the  colony  at  Boston  was  increased  by  about 
two  hundred  new  settlers.  Among  these  was  the  reverend 
John  Cotton,  a  minister,  who  had  become  (|iiite  cek'])rated 
in  England.  He  was  immediately  ordained  teacher  of  the 
first  church,  and  obtained  great  influence. 

2.  My  readers  would  hardly  think,  that,  at  this  early  pe- 
riod, Mr  Cotton  was  obliged  to  preach  against  extravagance 
and  luxury.  This  is  the  case,  however.  The  females  were 
in  the  habit  of  wearing  very  great  sleeves,  long  veils,  em- 
broidered caps,  with  gold  and  silver  laces.  One  morning 
Mr  Cotton  was  preaching  at  Salem,  and  tf)ld  his  hearers 
Jhat  there  was  no  command  in  the  Scripture  that  they  should 

a 


26  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

wear  veils.     In  the  afternoon,  they  all  put  them  aside,  and 
ever  afterwards  appeared  without  them. 

3.  In  November  of  this  year  a  friendly  Indian  chief, 
named  Chicatabot,  died.  He  had  often  come  to  Boston,  and 
visited  Governor  Winthrop.  At  one  time  he  was  attended  by 
several  of  his  tribe,  and  brought  the  governor  a  present  of 
some  corn.  They  were  well  received,  and  each  was  treated 
w^ith  a  little  tobacco,  and  a  cup  of  sack.  The  chief  then  or- 
dered them  away,  though  it  was  in  the  midst  of  a  violent 
thunder  storm.     He  remained  all  night  himself. 

4.  Chicatabot  sometimes  dressed  in  the  English  fashion. 
As  his  only  suit  was  at  that  time  considerably  the  worse  for 
wear,  he  began  to  think  of  getting  another.  It  seemed  to  him 
that  the  governor  had  a  suit  to  spare,  and  he  very  simply 
asked  him  to  sell  one. 

Sf.  The  governor  told  him,  that  it  was  riot  the  custom 
among  the  English  chiefs,  to  trade  in  old  clothes,  but  that  he 
would  give  him  a  dress  with  much  pleasure.  He  then  sent 
for  his  tailor,  and  Chicatabot  was  measured  for  a  full  suit  of 
regimentals.  They  fitted  him  very  well,  and  he  was  much 
delighted  with  them.  In  return,  he  presented  the  governor 
with  a  couple  of  beaver  skins. 

6.  Governor  Winthrop  invited  him  at  the  time  to  a  colla- 
tion. He  behaved  with  much  propriety,  and  refused  to  eat 
till  the  governor  had  given  thanks.  After  finishing  his  re- 
past, he  again  requested  him  to  give  thanks,  and  retired. 

7.  In  this  respect,  he  conducted  himself  much  better  than 


Governor  Winthrbp  and  the  Indian  Chief. 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 


29 


some  of  his  brother  Indians,  who  visited  the  colony  about  the 
same  time.  They  were  invited  to  attend  meeting,  and  hear 
a  sermon.  Before  the  sermon  was  ended,  they  began  to 
grow  tired  and  hungry.  Their  impatience  was  so  great  tliat 
t!iey  went  out,  and,  breaking  into  a  house  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, eat  and  drank  whatever  they  found  there,  witliout  cer- 
emony. 

8.  In  1C35  two  ships  arrived  at  Boston,  witli  numerous 
passengers.  The  most  distinguished  of  them  was  Mr  Henry 
Vane.  He  was  a  man  of  wit  and  shrewdness,  and  became 
so  popuhir,  that  in  tlic  following  year  he  was  chosen  gover- 
nor, in  the  phice  of  Mr  Winthrop.  His  election  was  com- 
plimented by  a  salute  from  all  the  ships  in  the  harbor,  which 
were  fifteen  in  number.  The  next  week  he  invited  all  the 
ship  masters  to  a  dinner. 

9.  For  several  mouths.  Governor  Vane  continued  to  give 
great  satisfaction,  lie  afterwards  busied  himself  in  religious 
disputes,  and  became  unpopular.  Mrs  Hutchinson,  a  wo- 
man of  much  eloquence  and  vanity,  undertook  to  establish  a 
weekly  meeting  of  the  religious  women  of  the  church.  It 
was  held  at  her  own  house,  and  she  was  in  the  habit  of  ma- 
king long  prayers  and  addresses  there. 

10.  She  soon  began  to  circulate  some  strange  opinions  in 
respect  to  religion.  The  church  were  much  divided  about 
them.  Governor  Vane  joined  the  party  of  IMrs  liutchinson. 
This  gave  offence  to  a  great  many  of  his  old  friends,  and  at 
the  next  election  he  was  turned  out  of  office. 


30  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

11.  This  election  took  place  in  May.  The  weather  being 
quite  warm,  it  was  held  in  a  field.  Great  noise  and  confu- 
sion attended  it,  and  some  of  the  parties  came  to  blows. 
One  of  the  electors  climbed  upon  the  bough  of  a  tree,  and 
addressed  the  meeting  at  the  top  of  his  voice.  He  advised 
them  to  hurry  to  business,  and  the  people  crying  out  '  Elec- 
tion !  Election!'  they  proceeded  to  vote.  Mr  Winthi'op  was 
returned  to  his  old  office  of  governor. 

12.  Mr  Vane  was  much  displeased,  and  at  last  almost 
came  to  an  open  quarrel  with  Governor  Winthrop.  He  de- 
termined to  return  to  England,  and  in  August  set  sail  from 
Boston.  A  military  company  escorted  him  to  the  shore,  and 
fired  several  volleys  by  way  of  salute.  Five  pieces  of  can- 
non were  also  discharged,  and  five  more  at  the  castle.  On 
arriving  in  his  native  country,  Mr  Vane  became  a  violent 
politician.  He  joined  the  party  against  Ring  Charles,  and 
was  beheaded  in  1662  for  high  treason. 

13.  Mrs  Hutchinson  continued  her  weekly  lectures,  and 
caused  a  great  deal  of  mischief  by  them.  She  was  finally 
banished  from  the  colony,  and  went  with  her  husband  to 
Rhode  Island.  In  1642,  she  removed  to  a  Dutch  settlement 
in  New  York,  and  in  the  following  year  was  captured  and 
slain  by  the  Indians.  Of  her  whole  family,  consisting  of  fif- 
teen persons,  only  one  escaped. 

14.  In  the  November  of  1637,  and  the  winter  months  which 
followed,  the  weather  was  exceedingly  severe,  and  the  in- 
habitants of  Boston  suflered  much  from  the  want  of  fire-wood. 


HISTORY    OP    BOSTON.  31 

For  about  four  moiitlis,  snow  lay  uj)oii  the  ground  to  the 
depth  of  four  feet  and  a  half.  On  the  tliirteenth  of  January 
the  day  was  clear,  and  a  ])arty  of  thirty  men  went  to  Spec- 
tacle Island  for  the  purpose  of  cutting  wood. 

15.  The  next  night  a  violent  storm  set  in,  which  was  fol- 
lowed by  high  winds  and  extreme  cold,  for  two  days.  The 
harbor  was  frozen  over  with  the  exception  of  a  narrow  chan- 
nel, by  which  twelve  of  the  men  found  their  way  to  an  Isl- 
and which  was  then  called  Governor's  Garden.  Seven  more 
were  carried  out  in  their  skifl's  among  the  rocks,  and  re- 
mained there  forty-eight  hours,  witliout  food  or  fire. 
^  IG.  The  rest  attem|)tc(l  to  pass  over  the  ice  from  the  isl- 
and to  the  town,  and  with  much  difticulty  succeeded.  Of 
those  driven  down  among  the  rocks,  all  had  their  feet  and 
hands  frozen,  and  one  died.  The  colonists  were  sadly  dis- 
heartened, and  even  thought  of  breaking  up  the  settlement. 

17.  In  the  month  of  INIay  1G39,  wo  read  of  a  great  milita- 
ry muster  in  Boston.  A  thousand  soldiers  were  collected 
from  different  parts  of  the  Bay.  They  were  divided  into 
two  regiments,  well  armed  and  exercised.  A  day  was  pass- 
ed in  military  actions,  and  skirmishes  of  various  kinds. 
Governor  Winthrop  commanded  one  regiment,  and  the  depu- 
ty governor  the  other. 

19.  Two  years  afterwards  there  was  another  muslcr  in 
Boston,  which  lasted  two  days.  About  twelve  lunidred  men 
were  assembled,  and  their  place  of  meeting  is  said  to  have 
been  by  the  bottom  of  the  Common,  on  a  slight   elevation 


32  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

which  once  existed  there,  and  which  was  called  Fox  Hill. 
It  is  said  that  at  this  early  day,  some  good  people  thought 
ill  of  these  great  trainings  ;  because,  from  their  show  and 
pomp,  the  mother  country  might  think  her  colonies  were 
looking  forward  to  independence. 

20.  About  this  time  the  town  was  thrown  into  a  great  com- 
motion. What  do  my  readers  think  was  the  cause  of  it  ?  It 
was  neither  an  Indian  war,  nor  a  flood,  nor  a  famine,  nor  a 
pestilence.     It  was  merely  a  pig  ! 

21.  A  Mrs  Sherman  owned  a  pig  which  had  a  taste  for 
rambling.  One  fine  summer  morning,  it  left  its  straw  with- 
out ever  saying  as  much  as  '  Good  morning,'  and  trotted 
along  through  the  town,  feasting  in  every  corn-field  which 
offered  any  thing  to  its  liking. 

22.  It  so  happened  that  a  stray  pig  was  caught  a  few 
weeks  after,  and  brought  to  Captain  Keayne.  The  captain 
was  an  honest  man,  and  disposed  to  give  every  one  his  due; 
so  he  hired  the  town-crier  to  go  about,  and  let  the  people 
know  that  he  had  found  a  pig.  Nobody  claimed  it,  howev- 
er, and  the  captain  determined  to  fatten  it  for  his  own  eating. 
He  kept  it  a  year  in  the  yard  with  a  pig  of  his  own,  and  in 
due  time  had  the  latter  killed. 

23.  Mrs  Sherman  now  came  forward,  and  accused  Cap- 
tain Keayne  of  killing  her  pig.  The  matter  was  examined 
by  the  members  of  the  church,  and  he  was  declared  innocent. 
Our  good  lady  carried  her  cause  to  court,  and  not  only  lost 
it,   but  had  to  pay  £3  into  the  bargain.     The  captain  then 


HISTORY    OP   BOSTON.  33 

prosectited  her,  and  a  friend  who  liad   urged  her  to  slander 
him,  and  obtained  =£20  for  defamation. 

24.  The  case  again  went  into  a  court  at  Salem,  and  then 
to  the  General  Court  of  the  colonies.  INIrs  Sherman  was  so 
vexatious  and  persevering-,  that  the  captain  finally  made  her 
a  present  of  the  living  pig,  in  order  to  get  rid  of  her,  and 
restore  public  peace. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Increase  of  the  town.     Death  of  Governor  Winthrop.     Anec- 
dote.    Mr  Cotton.      Trial  and  Execution  for  Witchcraft. 

1.  The  little  town  continued  to  flourish,  and  increase. 
After  erecting  their  houses,  and  providing  for  their  immedi- 
ate necessities,  the  inhabitants  began  to  think  of  adding  to 
their  possessions.  They  built  small  vessels,  and  sent  them 
out  on  fishing  voyages.  Some  employed  themselves  in  savf- 
ing  boards,  and  splitting  staves,  shingles  and  hoops.  In  time, 
merchants  came  over  from  foreign  countries  to  trade  with 
them,  and  the  town  began  to  wear  quite  an  appearance  of 
business. 

2.  Early  in  1649,  Boston  suffered  a  sad  loss  in  the  death 
of  Governor  Winthrop.  He  had  been  an  early  and  power- 
ful friend  of  the  town,  was  very  frugal,  charitable,  and  much 
beloved.  A  story  is  told  of  him  which  shows  his  character 
to  have  been  kind  and  generous,  though  it  seems  to  be  at 
variance  with  his  own  strict  and  stern  principles  of  honesty. 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  35 

3.  In  one  of  the  very  severe  winters,  which  the  early  set- 
tlers were  ohliged  to  endure,  a  man  complained  to  the  gov- 
ernor that  liis  wood-pile  had  been  robbed.  '  Do  you  know 
the  thief?'  asked  the  governor.  The  reply  was  that  it  was 
a  poor  fellow  in  the  neighl)orhood.  '  Send  him  to  me,'  was 
the  answer,  'and  1  will  cure  him  of  stealing.' 

4.  The  thief  ap|>earcd  trembling  with  fear,  and  with  his 
head  hung  down  in  shame  and  terror.  He  expected  to  be 
whipped  in  public,  or  placed  in  the  stocks,  at  least.  All 
that  the  governor  said,  however,  was ;  'Friend,  the  sea- 
son is  a  very  cold  one,  and  I  am  afraid  you  are  poorly  pro- 
vided with  wood  ;  you  are  welcome  to  help  yourself  at  my 
pile  till  the  winter  is  over.' 

5.  Governor  Winthrop  was  buried  in  a  tomb  on  the  north 
side  of  the  chapel  burial  ground.  A  portrait  of  him  is  still 
preserved.  Ife  was  about  six  feet  high,  with  a  long  beard, 
a  high  forehead,  and  dark  hair.  Ilis  memory  has  been  cher- 
ished with  much  love  and  respect,  for  he  was  a  good  man 
and  a  wise  governor. 

C.  In  1G52,  the  first  minister  of  the  town  died.  This 
was  the  learned  and  excellent  Mr  John  Cotton.  lie  was  a 
man  of  impressive  appearance,  with  a  fine,  clear  voice,  and 
a  plain  natural  style  of  jjreaching.  His  influence  in  the 
new  settlement  was  very  great,  and  he  deserves  to  be  re- 
membered as  one  of  the  first  and  best  of  our  clergy. 

7.  One  of  the  most  remarkable  occurrences  in  the  hi.>itory 
of  the  colony  took  place  in  1055.     This  was  a  trial  and  con- 


36  V    HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

demnation  for  witchcraft.  In  this  time  of  general  intelli- 
gence, a  child  would  ridicule  notions  which  were  then  firm- 
ly believed  by  men  of  stajiding,  respectability,  and  reputa- 
tion. 

8.  The  person  who  suffered  was  a  woman  named  Ann 
-Hibbins.     Her  husband   had  been  a  merchant,  and   at   one 

period  was  possessed  of  considerable  foitune.  In  the  later 
part  of  his  life,  however,  he  met  with  large  losses  which 
troubled  him  a  good  deal,  and  made  his  wife  very  cross  and 
quarrelsome. 

9.  It  was  wrong  in  the  old  lady  to  be  noisy,  and  to  dis- 
pute with  her  neighbors :  but  if  all  cross  people  were  to  be 
hung  for  witches,  it  would  thin  the  population  of  the  world 
very  considerably.  Mrs  Hibbins  became  at  last  sufch  a 
scold,  and  so  very  unruly  and  turbulent,  that  the  members 
of  the  church  took  notice  of  it,  and  rebuked  her. 

10.  This  seems  to  have  had  but  little  effect,  and  her 
neighbors  began  to  suspect  her  of  what  they  called  witch- 
craft. She  was  prosecuted  for  this  imaginary  crime,  and 
was  finally  convicted  and  condemned  to  be  hung.  Her 
execution  took  place  in  June  1656. 

11.  It  seems  strange  that  the  good  and  intelligent  men  of 
the  community  could  not  have  so  far  restrained  the  mad- 
ness of  the  populace,  as  to  prevent  the  commission  of  such 
an  atrocious  murder  under  the  mockery  of  justice.  This, 
however,  was  the   third  case  of  execution  for  witchcraft  in 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  37 

•I; 

New  Enf^land-     Tlie  first  was  in  Connecticut.     The  second 
was  in  Boston  in  1048. 

12.  This  moral  i)higuc  afterwards  raged  with  great  vio- 
lence in  Salem,  and  many  suftered  death,  for  their  supposed 
connection  with  evil  spirits.  So  insane  were  the  people  on 
the  subject,  that  a  dog  was  publicly  hung,  as  an  accomplice 
of  his  master  1  The  delusion,  however,  was  one  of  the  sins 
of  the  age,  and  not  confined  to  a  particular  spot.  It  de- 
stroyed more  in  a  single  county  of  England,  than  it  did  in 
all  the  American  colonics. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Indian  Tribes.  King  Philip.  Attack  on  Swansey.  Ano- 
ther Expedition.  Anecdote  of  the  Pcriicig.  Death  of 
Philip.     One-eyed  John. 

1.  I  AM  now  going  to  tell  you  something  about  the  Indian 
Wars.  The  inhabitants  of  Boston  were  never  very  much 
troubled  by  the  natives  in  their  immediate  neighborhood  ; 
but  the  little  inland  settlements  and  villages  were  often  dis- 
tressed by  them. 

2.  The  Indians  throughout  Massachusetts  were  sej^iarated 
into  a  number  of  distinct  tribes.  These  tribes  wer«toot 
united  under  one  head,  nor  bound  together  by  any  common 
government.  They  were  entirely  separate  and  independ- 
ent. One  after  another,  they  had  made  treaties  with  the 
white  men,  and  agreed  to  submit  to  their  authority.  For  a 
long  time  they  lived  together  in  great  friendship.  The 
white  men  were  just  and  cautious ;  and  the  savages  kept 
their  promises,  and  hunted  and  fished  in  peace. 


Philip  addressing  his  Tribe. 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  41 

3.  About  the  year  1G70,  the  conduct  of  the  Indians  began 
to  ap|)ear  suspicious.  It  was  thought  prudent  to  take  pre- 
cautions against  them.  In  Rhode  Island  there  was  a  very 
cunning  and  brave  chief  by  the  name  of  Phihp.  He  lived 
at  Mount  Hope,  a  beautiful  hill,  which  has  become  quite 
famous,  as  having  been  the  residence  of  this  king.  He  pos- 
sessed a  great  deal  of  power,  and  was  a  bitter  enemy  of  the 
white  men. 

4.  It  was  an  evil  sight  to  him,  to  see  the  natives  of  the  soil 
displaced  by  the  rapid  growth  of  the  English  colonies.  He 
was  unwilling  to  part  with  the  fields  and  hills,  which  had  so 
long  been  the  pleasant  hunting  grounds  of  his  ancestors. 
He  was  crafty,  bold,  and  vigorous.  His  people  looked  ujjon 
him  as  a  great  warrior,  and  obeyed  him.  They  were  glad 
to  listen  to  his  counsel,  and  were  easily  excited  to  hate  and 
persecute  the  strangers,  who  had  come  to  drive  them  away 
from  the  homes  and  the  graves  of  their  fathers. 

5.  Philip  was  too  cunning  to  appear  at  once  as  an  enemy. 
He  pretended  to  be  a  friend  of  the  colonists,  and  made  many 
promises  and  professions  of  peace.  Meanwhile  he  was 
going  about  among  the  different  tribes,  and  endeavoring  to 
rouse  them  to  war.  lie  laid  a  plot  for  the  Indians  to  rise 
at  the  same  time  in  all  quarters,  and  drive  the  English  en- 
tirely out  of  the  country. 

6.  As  the  confidence  of  Philip  and  his  adherents  increas- 
ed, it  began  to  display  itself  in  acts  of  violence.  In  June 
1675,   a   party  of  the  hostile  Indians  entered  the   town  of 

4 


42  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

Swansey,  in  the  Plymouth  colony,  and,  after  killing  the  cat- 
tle, plundered  the  houses,  and  murdered  or  wounded  several 
of  the  inhabitants.  The  troops  of  Plymouth  colony  imme- 
diately marched  to  the  relief  of  this  devoted  village.  In 
the  flight  which  followed  their  depredations,  the  Indians 
marked  their  course  by  burning  buildings,  and  by  poles  at 
the  wayside,  on  which  they  placed  the  hands  and  heads  of 
the  whites  whom  they  had  killed. 

7.  Information  of  this  attack  was  at  once  dispatched  to 
Boston.  A  company  of  foot  soldiers  under  Captain  Hench- 
man, and  a  troop  of  horse,  were  sent  to  the  relief  of  the 
settlement.  Having  arrived  at  Swansey  and  rested  there 
one  night,  the  whole  force  passed  over  the  bridge  that  led  to 
Mount  Hope,  and  obliged  the  enemy  to  retreat  some  dis- 
tance. An  ensign  by  the  name  of  Savage,  a  young  man 
about  twenty  years  of  age,  quite  distinguished  himself  in 
this  skirmish.  As  he  boldly  held  the  colors  in  front  of  his 
company,  he  was  shot  at  by  ten  or  twelve  of  the  savages, 
and  received  a  bullet  in  his  thigh.  Another  passed  through 
the  brim  of  his  hat. 

8.  New  troops  arrived  to  the  assistance  of  the  colo- 
nists, and  the  Indian  tribes  in  those  parts  were  soon 
routed.  Philip  fled  to  the  western  part  of  the  colony, 
and  some  of  the  Boston  troops  returned.  Captain  Hench- 
man was  sent  on  another  expedition,  in  November  of  the 
same  year.  Hearing  of  a  number  of  Indians  at  Mendon, 
he  went  with  his  soldiers  to   attack  them  in  their  wigwams. 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  43 

His  men  behaved  in  a  very  cowardly  manner,  and  deserted 
luni  just  at  the  moment  of  the  combat.  So  he  was  obbged 
to  give  u[)  hiV  purpose. 

0.  Rather  a  laughable  incident  occurred  in  one  of  these 
expeditions.  About  sixty  white  men  met  with  a  party  of 
three  hundred  Indians,  in  an  open  plain,  and  both  sides  made 
preparations  for  battle.  When  every  thing  was  ready,  the 
captain  of  the  whites  plucked  off  his  wig,  and  put  it  in  his 
pocket,  to  prevent  any  accident  happening  to  it,  and  tiiat  it 
might  not  hinder  him  in  fighting.  As  soon  as  the  Indians 
saw  that,  they  raised  a  most  hideous  yell,  crying  out  '  Umh, 
umh,  me  no  fight  Engismon,  Engismon  got  two  hcd;  if  me  cut 
off  un  htd,  he  got  nodcr,  a  put  on  bcdir  as  r//s/'  Away  the 
whole  tribe  fled,  and  could  mjt  be  overtaken. 

10.  In  the  following  winter,  there  were  a  good  many  en- 
counters with  the  Indians,  in  which  the  colonists  were  some- 
times successful,  and  sometimes  unfortunate.  The  savages 
still  advanced  towards  Boston,  with   the   intention   to  burn 

'  the  town,  and  kill  the  inhabitants.  It  was  thought  necessa- 
ry to  post  a  guard  at  the  entrance  of  the  town,  and  no  In- 
dian was  suffered  to  go  in  or  out  unless  he  was  strictly 
watched. 

11.  IJeforc  tlie  close  of  the  year,  the  great  Indian  king 
and  warrior,  Philip,  was  slain.  Captain  Clark,  with  a  Aiith- 
ful  and  brave  band  of  soldiers,  pursued  liim  to  the  recesses  of 
Mount  Hope.  Here  he  was  shot  by  an  Indian  friendly  to 
the  whiles.     He  was  very  brave  and  sagacious,  and  a  great 


44  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

terror  to  the  settlers.  The  lock  of  the  gun  with  which  he 
was  killed,  and  a  wooden  dish  taken  from  his  wigwam,  have 
been  carefully  preserved  to  this  day. 

12.  There  was  a  famous  Indian  called  One-eyed  John, 
who  had  made  great  threats  and  boasts,  and  was  quite  as  in- 
solent, though  not  so  wise  and  powerful  as  Philip.  This  fel- 
low was  taken  prisoner,  and  after  being  marched  through 
the  streets  of  Boston  with  a  halter  about  his  neck,  was  hang- 
ed at  the  end  of  the  town. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Governor  Lever dt.  Great  Jire.  Loss  of  Charters.  Sir  Ed- 
mund Andros.  Connecticut  CImrter.  Erpulsion  of  James 
II.  News  received  in  Boston.  Imprisonment  of  Andros. 
Sir  William  Phips.  His  arrival  in  Boston.  His  death. 
First  Newspaper.     Benjamin  Franklin. 

1.  Mr  Lcverett  was  govcrnoi-  of  the  colon}'  from  1G73  to 
1679,  when  he  died  in  the  month  of  March.  In  early  life 
he  had  been  a  soldier.  lie  was  much  beloved  by  the  colony, 
and  his  annual  election  was  never  contested.  Nothing  of 
importance  happened  during  the  time  he  remained  in  office, 
excepting  the  Indian  wars. 

2.  In  1079  there  was  a  great  fire  in  Boston,  which  broke 
out  about  midnight  on  the  eighth  of  August,  and  raged  with 
extreme  fury.  Eighty  dwelling-houses  and  seventy  ware- 
liouses  were  consumed.     Several  vessels  with  their  cargoes 


46  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

were  burned.  It  was  supposed  that  the  fire  was  purposely 
kindled,  by  some  miserable  wretches,  who  were  soon  after 
ordered  to  quit  the  town  and  never  to  return.  The  town 
passed  a  regulation,  that  a  man  should  be  stationed  on  the 
top  of  every  meeting  house,  during  the  Sunday  services,  to 
give  the  alarm  in  case  of  fire.  The  houses  and  ware-houses, 
re-built  after  this  great  fire,  were  constructed  of  brick,  or 
plastered  on  the  outside  with  a  strong  cement,  mixed  with 
gravel  and  glass,  and  slated  on  the  top.  Several  of  these 
plastered  houses  are  still  standing  in  Ann  street,  in  their 
original  form. 

3.  About  this  time  the  colonists  fell  under  the  displeasure 
of  the  English  king.  In  consequence  of  some  oflfence  which 
they  had  given,  the  crown  in  the  years  1684-1687  deprived 
them  of  their  charters.  These  chai'ters  were  parchment  rolls 
given  to  the  early  settlers  of  different  parts  of  the  country, 
signed  and  sealed  by  the  king  of  England,  at  different  peri- 
ods. On  these  rolls  were  written  the  privileges  given  to  the 
parties  holding  them,  the  extent  of  country  granted  to  them, 
and  the  manner  in  which  that  country  was  to  be  governed. 

4.  By  dejjriving  the  colonists  of  the  charters,  the  king  de- 
prived them  of  the  rights  and  privileges  which  those  char- 
ters granted.  They  had  before  been  allowed  to  choose 
their  own  governor,  but  in  1686  Sir  Edmund  Andros  was 
appointed  by  Ring  James  II,  governor  of  the  whole  coun- 
try. He  was  authorized,  with  four  of  his  council,  to  make 
laws,  raise  taxes,  without  the  consent  of  any  assembly  of  the 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  47 

people.     Among  his  other  orders  he  was  instructed  to  allow- 
no  printinj;  press. 

5.  In  1G87  the  new  governor  marched,  at  the  head  of  a 
hody  of  troops,  into  Connecticut.  It  was  his  intention  to 
seize  the  charter  of  this  colony  hy  force.  The  assemhly  of 
the  colony  met,  and  the  charter  was  brought  out  into  a  room, 
where  they  were  conversing  with  Andros.  The  meeting 
was  prolonged  till  night,  when  the  peo|)le  rushed  into  the 
room,  extinguished  the  light,  and  secreted  the  charter  in  an 
old  oak  tree  which  is  still  standing  in  Hartford. 

6.  James  II  of  England  was  a  Catholic,  and  attempted  to 
restore  the  followers  of  the  pope  to  power.  His  conduct  dis- 
gusted the  English  nation.  AVilliam,  |)rince  of  Orange,  had 
married  the  princess  Mary,  and  on  perceiving  the  discontent 
of  the  people,  he  landed  in  England  with  an  army,  and  ex- 
pelled .lames  from  the  kingdom.     This  happened  in  1088. 

7.  When  news  of  these  events  reached  Boston,  Sir  Ed- 
mund Andros  issued  a  ])roclamation.  In  this,  he  charged 
all  the  olhcers  and  people  to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  to 
resist  any  forces,  whicli  might  he  sent  to  the  colonists  by  the 
prince  of  Orange.  The  people  became  angry  and  turbulent 
at  this  measure.  They  heard  of  the  expulsion  of  .Tames 
with  much  joy,  and,  raising  a  mob,  seized  their  new  governor, 
w^ith  the  most  active  members  of  his  council. 

8.  The  former  governor,  with  several  assistants,  immedi- 
ately entered  upon  the  direction  of  public  aftairs.  AVilliam 
and  Mary  were  soon  proclaimed  king  and  rpicen  of  England, 


48  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

and  approved  the  course  pursued  by  the  people  and  the  old 
magistrates.  Sir  Andros  and  his  friends  remained  for  many 
weeks  in  confinement,  and  at  length,  by  order  of  the  king, 
were  sent  back  to  England. 

9.  In  1692  a  new  Charter  was  granted,  and  Sir  William 
Phips  was  appointed  the  first  governor  under  it.  He  was  a 
blunt,  honest  man,  ardent  and  generous,  but  rather  coarse 
in  his  manners.  He  was  born  in  Maine,  his  father  died 
when  he  was  a  mere  boy,  and  left  a  family  of  twenty- 
three  children.  William  bound  himself  as  apprentice  to  -a 
ship  carpenter,  and  in  the  course  of  time  engaged  in  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account. 

10.  In  1683,  when  about  thirty-three  years  of  age,  he  sail- 
ed from  England  in  search  of  a  rich  Spanish  ship,  which 
had  been  wrecked  near  the  Bahama  Islands.  After  one 
unsuccessful  attempt  he  discovered  the  wreck,  and  obtained 
from  it  about  300,000  pounds.  From  this  sum  he  received  a 
very  ample  compensation.  He  was  soon  after  knighted  by 
the  king,  and  appointed  high  sheriff  of  New  England. 

11.  He  held  this  oflSce  for  some  time,  and  during  his  oc- 
cupation of  it  resided  in  Boston.  In  consequence  of  some 
difiiculties,  however,  he  returned  to  England.  On  receiving 
the  appoijiitment  of  governor  in  1692,  he  again  sailed  for 
Boston,  where  he  arrived  about  the  middle  of  May. 

12.  On  the  Monday  following  his  arrival,  he  was  conduct- 
ed to  the  town-house,  by  the  magistrates,  the  clergy  and 
principal   inhabitants   of  Boston  and  the   vicinity,  followed 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  49 

by  a  large  military  escort.  The  charter  was  then  read,  and 
the  commission  of  the  governor  proclaimed.  A  public  din- 
ner was  afterwards  eaten,  and  the  governor  was  attended 
back  to  his  house.  This  house  is  still  standing  at  the  North 
End,  and  is  now  occupied  as  the  Asylum  for  poor  boys. 

13.  Governor  Phips  remained  but  a  short  time  in  his  new 
office.  He  was  faithful,  but  was  too  hasty  and  (juarrolsomc, 
so  that  he  often  gave  oflence,  and  many  complaints  were 
made  against  him.  He  was  sent  for  to  England  to  answer 
these  complaints.  After  making  a  sufficient  defence,  he 
was  preparing  to  return  to  his  government,  when  he  was 
taken  sick  and  died  in  London  early  in  1091. 

14.  I  have  told  you  a  good  deal  about  him,  because  he 
was  quite  remarkable  for  his  perseverance,  industry  and 
good  sense.  From  being  a  poor  and  ignorant  boy,  he  rais- 
ed himself  to  wealth  and  power.  All  of  us  cannot  be  rich 
and  great,  but  we  can  learn,  from  such  an  example  as  that  of 
Sir  William  Phij)s,  that  good  conduct  and  unwearied  labor 
will  meet  their  due  reward. 

15.  The  year  1704  is  remarkable  for  the  appearance  of 
the  first  newspaper,  published  in  the  English  colonies  in 
America.  It  was  printed  in  Boston  on  a  very  small  half- 
sheet,  and  was  called  the  Bns(()7i  News  Letter.  There  are 
now  in  the  United  States  alone  more  than  twelve  hundred 
newspapers. 

IC.  IJciijamin  Franklin,  so  distinguished  in  American  his- 
tory, was  born  in  the  year  1700.     His  father  was  a  soap  and 


50  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

tallow  chandler,  and  Benjamin  was  the  fifteenth  of  seven- 
teen children.  As  every  thing  in  respect  to  great  and  good 
men  is  interesting,  I  will  just  mention  here  that  the  house 
in  which  Franklin  was  born  is  still  standing.  It  is  at  the 
north  part  of  Boston,  at  the  sign  of  the  Blue  Ball,  hanging 
at  the  corner  of  Hanover  and  Union  streets. 

17.  The  brother  of  Franklin  was  the  printer  of  the  second 
paper  published  in  Boston.  In  1731  he  published  the  third 
paper  of  the  country,  under  the  title  of  the  New  England 
Courant.  It  was  in  this  paper  that  Benjamin  first  began  to 
wi'ite.  He  at  first  sent  his  pieces  secretly  to  the  ofiice,  and 
concealed  that  he  was  the  author.  Finding  that  they  were 
well  received,  he  confessed  that  he  wrote  them,  and  obtain- 
ed much  credit  for  them.  These  were  the  first  efforts  of  a 
poor  and  humble  boy,  who  afterwards  stood  with  honor  in 
the  presence  of  kings,  and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  first 
philosophers  of  his  age. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Fleet  at  Nantaskct.  Violence  of  Commodore  Knoivlcs.  Alarm 
of  the  I) cop Ic.  Mobs.  Magistrate  in  the  stocks.  Burning 
the  barge.  Governor  retires  to  the  Castle.  Measures  of  the 
council.      Toton  meeting.     Issue  of  the  affair.      Townhouse. 

1.  I  sliall  now  pass  over  a  number  of  years,  diirinf^  which 
there  was  no  event  of  particular  interest,  and  shall  tell  you 
a  story  which  happened  in  1747.  It  will  show  you  the  spirit 
and  indc])endcnce  of  Bostonians  in  the  old  times.  This 
spirit  finally  led  to  the  American  Revolution. 

2.  In  tlie  harhor  of  Nantasket,  there  was  an  English 
fleet,  under  the  command  of  Commodore  Knowles.  Some 
of  his  sailors  had  been  silly  enough  to  go  on  shore,  and, 
finding  they  could  amuse  themselves  a  while,  determined  not 
to  return  to  the  ship.  The  commodore  was  anxious  to  sail, 
and  resolved  to  procure  men  in  the  place  of  those  who  had 
deserted,  wherever  he  could  find  them. 

3.  His   boats  were   accordingly  sent  up   to   Boston,  early 


52  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

in  the  morning,  manned  with  sailors  and  officers,  who  were 
commanded  to  seize  a  sufficient  number  of  men  to  fill  up 
their  crews.  They  first  surprised  all  the  seamen  they  found 
in  the  vessels  in  the  harbor.  Afterwards  they  went  on  the 
wharves,  and  carried  away  several  apprentices,  and  labor- 
ing men,  who  had  business  and  families  on  shore,  and  had 
never  been  to  sea. 

4.  The  people  were  soon  alarmed  at  this  outrage,  and 
collected  in  large  numbers.  The  whole  town  was  in  an  up- 
roar. Mobs  collected,  armed  with  pitch-mops,  sticks,  and 
clubs,  and  soon  became  large  and  powerful.  Having  heard 
that  several  of  the  commanders  of  the  fleet  were  at  the 
house  of  Governor  Sliirlcy,  they  immediately  proceeded 
thither  with  a  great  noise  and  shouts. 

5.  The  house  was  soon  surrounded,  and  the  front  and 
back  yards  were  completely  filled  with  the  enraged  popu- 
lace. By  the  exertions  of  some  men  of  influence,  they 
were  prevented  from  breaking  through  the  doors  and  win- 
dows, and  carrying  their  violence  to  extremity.  A  poor 
magistrate  of  the  king  exposed  himself  in  the  midst  of  them, 
in  a  vain  attempt  to  exercise  his  authority ;  the  mob  laid 
hands  upon  him  in  no  very  gentle  manner,  and  hurried  him 
away  in  triumph  to  the  public  stocks.  Here  they  placed  him, 
and  amused  themselves  with  him  till  dinnej-  time. 

6.  Even  the  anger  of  the  mob  yields  to  the  call  of  appe- 
tite. The  leaders  and  the  followers  were  both  willing  to 
satisfy  their  hunger,  before  completing  their  revenge.     They 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  53 

separated  at  the  usual  hour  for  (lining,  and  the  town  once 
more  became  quiet.  Putting  l)y  tlieir  pitch-mops  and  clubs, 
they  busied  themselves  with  knives  and  forks,  in  a  nuich 
more  harmless  and  agreeable  manner. 

7.  About  dusk,  liowevcr,  they  began  to  assemble  again  in 
great  numbers.  Several  thousand  people  were  collected  in 
King  street,  now  State  street,  below  the  old  Town  House. 
Becoming  turbulent  and  excited,  they  vented  their  rage  by 
throwing  stones  and  brickbats,  through  the  windows  of  the 
council  chamber. 

8.  The  governor,  however,  ventured  to  appear  in  the  bal- 
cony, with  several  gentlemen  and  nienil)ers  of  the  council. 
It  was  some  time  before  the  mob  would  consent  to  listen  to 
him.  At  length  silence  was  obtained,  and  the  governor 
made  an  address.  He  told  the  people  that  he  disaj)proved 
of  the  violent  measures  of  the  commodore,  and  promised  to 
procure  a  release  of  the  citizens  who  had  been  seized. 

9.  It  is  in  vain  to  reason  with  an  enraged  mob,  and  the 
governor  found  that  he  had  made  a  long  speech  to  no  pur- 
pose. Nothing  would  satisfy  the  leaders  but  the  seizure  and 
imprisonment  of  all  the  officers  of  the  fleet,  who  were  in 
town.  It  was  now  thought  necessary  for  the  governor  to 
leave  the  council,  and  he  retired  to  his  own  house. 

10.  The  mob  next  proceeded  to  a  wharf,  Avhere  they 
found  a  barge,  which  they  supposed  to  belong  to  the  fleet. 
They  immediately  seized  it,  and  dragged  it  through  the 
streets,  as  far  as  the  house   of  the  governor.     They  had 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  .>.» 

of  their  fellow-citizens.  They  also  condemned  the  riotous 
conduct  of  those,  who  had  insulted  the  governor  and  coun- 
cil, and  committed  many  other  acts  of  violence. 

14.  On  the  following  day,  the  commodore  released  the 
men  whom  he  had  impressed,  and  the  squadron  sailed,  to 
the  great  joy  of  the  town.  The  militia  turned  out  in  large 
numbers,  with  much  parade,  and  escorted  the  governor  to 
his  house.  Such  was  the  conclusion  of  one  of  the  first  acts 
of  violence,  which  excited  tlie  Bostonians  to  a  similar  vio- 
lent resistance. 

15.  In  the  course  of  this  same  year,  the  old  Town  House 
was  nearly  destroyed  by  fire.  Nothing  was  left  standing  but 
the  walls.  It  was  repaired  in  the  following  year,  and  not- 
withstanding it  has  again  suffered  from  fire,  within  a  few 
years,  its  outward  appearance  still  remains  nearly  the  same. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

James  Otis.  Writs  of  assistance.  Mr  Otis  undertakes  the 
cause  of  the  Merchants.  Trial.  Mr  Gridley.  Speech  of 
Otis.  Stamp  act.  Liberty  Tree.  Mob.  Attack  on  Mr 
Oliver^s  House. 

1.  We  are  now  coming  to  more  unquiet  times.  The 
troubles,  which  finally  led  to  the  American  Revolution,  had 
commenced.  Oppressive  measures  on  the  part  of  England 
were  followed  by  resistance  and  violence  in  the  colonies. 
In  part  of  this  chapter,  I  shall  tell  you  about  Mr  James 
Otis,  who  was  one  of  the  earliest  patriots. 

2.  Mr  Otis  was  born  in  Barnstable  in  the  year  1724.  He 
received  his  education  at  Harvard  College,  and  commenced 
the  study  of  the  law.  After  practising  in  his  profession  for 
two  years  at  Plymouth,  he  removed  to  Boston.  Here  he 
soon  distinguished  himself,  and  his  business  became  very 
extensive. 

3.  In   1759,  Great  Britain  formed  the  plan  of  raising  a 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  57 

revenue  from  tlie  colonics.  Tlie  first  evidence  of  this  in- 
tention was  given  in  the  following  year.  An  order  was 
then  received  hy  the  custom-house  officers  in  America,  to 
apply  to  the  Supreme  Court  for  what  were  called  writs  of 
assistance.  These  writs  were  to  authorize  the  persons 
holding  them,  to  enter 'any  ships,  stores  or  houses,  upon 
mere  suspicion,  and  search  for  goods  that  had  been  import- 
ed in  violation  of  the  English  acts  of  trade. 

4.  This  power  was  of  course  very  oppressive  and  odious. 
The  custom-house  officers,  however,  applied  to  the  court 
for  the  writs,  and  the  court  appointed  a  time  when  tJie  pro- 
priety of  granting  them  should  be  discussed.  Mr  Otis  at 
this  time  held  the  office  of  advocate-general,  and  he  Avas 
consequently  called  upon  to  render  his  services  in  support 
of  the  king's  officers.  Thinking  the  writs  prayed  for  to  be 
tyrannical  and  oppressive,  he  refused,  and  resigned  his 
office. 

5.  Being  immediately  applied  to  by  the  merchants  on  the 
other  side,  he  undertook  their  cause,  in  conjunction  with 
Mr  Thacher.  He  was  at  this  time  in  the  vigor  of  manhood, 
and  of  intellect.  The  trial  took  place  in  the  council  cham- 
ber of  the  old  town-house.  In  those  days  there  was  a  good 
deal  of  pomp  in  court  dignity.  The  judges  were  dressed  in 
robes  of  scarlet,  faced  with  black  velvet  ;  huge  wigs  envel- 
oped their  heads,  and  curled  down  over  their  shoulders. 
The  barristers  appeared  before  the  court,  in  black  gowns, 
and  with  powdered  hair  and  bags. 

5 


58  HISTORY    OF    BOSToff. 

6.  The  cause  excited  very  deep  interest  in  all  classes. 
Government  officers  were  anxious  to  know  whether  they 
were  to  receive  the  writs,  that  would  give  them  so  much 
power,  and  perhaps  enrich  them  with  great  wealth.  Citi- 
zens and  merchants  were  equally  desirous  to  learn,  if  their 
houses  were  to  be  sacred,  or  to  be  open  to  the  curiosity  and 
avarice  of  every  petty  officer  of  the  customs,  who  chose  to 
disturb  them  with  his  suspicions. 

7.  Mr  Jeremiah  Gridley,  a  learned  and  eminent  lawyer, 
was  at  this  time  attorney-general,  and  supported  the  cause 
of  those  who  petitioned  for  the  writs.  He  was  very  inge- 
nious and  powerful  in  his  argument.  Mr  Thacher  followed 
him  on  the  opposite  side,  in  a  learned  and  convincing  refu- 
tation. 

8.  Of  the  speech  pronounced  on  this  occasion  by  Mr  Otis, 
we  have  the  very  highest  praise  from  the  elder  President 
Adams.  He  says  that  Otis  was  a  flame  of  fire,  and,  with  a 
rapid  torrent  of  impetuous  eloquence,  hurried  away  all  be- 
fore him.  '  American  independence,'  he  continues,  '  was 
then  and  there  born.  Every  man,  of  an  immense  crowded 
audience,  appeared  to  me  to  go  away  as  I  did,  ready  to  take 
arms  against  writs  of  assistance.' 

9.  The  Court  adjourned  for  consideration,  and  though 
they  then  came  to  no  conclusion  on  the  subject,  nothing 
more  was  heard  or  said  about  the  writs.  I  have  told  you 
particularly  about  thi-s  trial,  because  it  is  a  very  important 
point  of  our  history.     From  this  time  parties  began  to  be 


dlSTORY    OF    BOSTON.  69 

formed,  of  the  friends  of  the  king,  and  tlie  friends  of  the  col- 
ouies.  The  people  of  Boston  from  this  period,  entertained 
but  very  little  affection  for  their  friends  on  the  other  side  of 
the  water. 

10.  In  1765  the  king  of  England,  George  III,  gave  his 
consent  to  the  famous  Stamp  Act.  You  have  heard  of  this 
act,  and  as  it  led  to  the  most  important  results,  I  shall  ex- 
plain it  to  you  at  length.  It  laid  a  tax  or  duty,  on  every 
piece  of  vellum,  parchment  or  paper,  on  which  any  thing  of 
use  to  any  person  could  be  written  or  printed.  This  tax 
varied  from  half  a  penny  to  twenty  shillings. 

11.  This  stamp  was  to  have  been  put  on  every  possible 
document.  Newspapers,  almanacks,  cards,  marriage  cer- 
tificates, writs  of  court,  custom-house  papers,  all  these  were 
to  bear  the  stamp  and  pay  for  it.  When  popular  feeling 
was  at  its  height  on  this  subject  in  the  colonies,  news  was  re- 
ceived in  Boston  that  a  cargo  of  these  papers  might  be  daily 
expected  in  the  harbor.  It  was  also  rumored  that  Andrew 
Oliver,  Esq.,  secretary  of  the  province,  had  been  appointed 
a  distributor  of  the  stamps. 

12.  It  is  at  this  time  that  the  Liberty  Tree  first  comes  in- 
to notice.  This  tree  formerly  stood,  with  a  noble  grove  of 
elms,  at  the  head  of  Essex  street.  It  was  immediately  in 
front  of  a  house  opposite  to  the  Boylston  Market.  On  the 
morning  of  the  fourteenth  of  August,  a  couple  of  images 
were  found  hanging  from  this  tree,  one  of  which  was  intend- 


60  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

ed  to  ridicule  Mr  Oliver.  The  other  was  a  boot,  with  a  gro- 
tesque figure  peeping  out  of  it,  having  the  stamp  act  in  its 
hand,  intended  to  represent  Lord  Bute,  who  had  done  much 
in  parliament  to  promote  American  taxation. 

13.  Very  little  business  was  done  during  the  day.  People 
collected  in  knots  about  the  streets,  talking  of  the  stamp  act, 
and.  British  officers,  and  Liberty  Tree.  Large  numbers 
came  in  from  the  towns  in  the  neighborhood,  to  learn  what 
was  going  on,  and  to  join  in  the  expression  of  popular  feel- 
ing. 

14.  The  mob  gradually  increased  and  became  more  for- 
midable. A  little  after  twilight  they  formed  a  procession, 
and  cai-ried  the  effigy  from  Liberty  Tree  to  the  town-house, 
where  they  knew  that  the  governor  and  his  council  were  hold- 
ing a  consultation.  Here  they  gave  three  shouts,  and  passed  on 
to  Kilby  street.  In  this  place  a  building  had  just  been  erect- 
ed by  Mr  Oliver,  which  they  supposed  was  intended  for  a 
stamp  office. 

15.  This  they  immediately  levelled  with  the  ground,  and 
carried  oft*  the  remains  in  triumph  upon  their  shoulders. 
Proceeding  to  Fort  hill,  where  Mr  Oliver  then  resided,  they 
made  a  bonfire  in  front  of  his  house,  and  on  it  burned  the 
effigy.  They  then  broke  the  windows,  tore  down  the  garden 
fences,  and  at  length  obtained  complete  possession  of  his 
house. 

16.  Towards  twelve  o'clock  at  night,  the  mob  began  to 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  61 

.  • 

become  less  noisy,  and  an  attempt  was  made  by  the  govern- 
ment officers  to  disperse  tliem.  These  gentlemen,  liowever, 
were  unsuccessful,  and  received  rather  harsh  treatment  from 
the  hands  of  some  of  the  ringleaders.  At  length  about  mid- 
night all  was  again  quiet. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

The  riots  are  unnoticed.  A  moh.  Their  outrages.  Mr 
Hutchinson.  Attach  on  his  clicelling-house.  Toicn  meeting. 
Declaration  of  Mr  Oliver.  Burning  stamp  papers.  Re- 
peal of  the  stamp  act.  Great  rejoicings.  Fire  WorTcs.  Lib- 
erty Tree  illuminated. 

1.  The  officers  of  government  were  obliged  to  pass  over 
these  riots,  without  punishment.  They  knew  the  state  of 
pubUe  feeUng  too  well,  to  imagine  that  it  could  possibly  be 
resisted.  Such  deep  and  general  indignation  had  been  ex- 
cited, that  even  the  more  moderate  and  respectable  citzens 
hardly  dared  to  discountenance  the  violence  of  the  mob. 

2.  On  the  twenty-sixth  of  August  another  mob  was  collect- 
ed, and  a  very  dangerous  and  destructive  one.  It  began  to 
come  together  about  dusk,  when  a  bonfire  was  lighted  before 
the  town-house.  A  large  number  of  boys  and  men  soon  as- 
sembled, ready  for  any  means  of  displaying  their  anger. 
Their  cry  was  '  Liberty  and  Property.' 

3.  They  made  their  first  visit  to  the  house  of  Mr  Paxton, 


HISTORY    OF    nOSTON.  63 

who  held  the  office  of  surveyor  of  the  port,  and  was  on  tljat 
account  obnoxious  to  the  people.  Here  they  found  the  owner 
of  the  house,  who  seems  to  have  been  a  slirewd  and  sensi- 
ble man,  and  who  told  them  that  Mr  Paxton  and  his  furni- 
ture had  been  removed.  He  moreover  added,  that  he  was 
himself  the  only  person  they  would  injure  by  any  violence, 
that  he  had  never  done  them  any  harm,  and  that  if  they 
would  go  witli  him  to  tiie  tavern,  he  would  treat  them  to  a 
barrel  of  punch. 

4.  'Hurrah!  Hurrah!'  shouted  the  ringleaders,  'he  is  a 
clever  fellow  and  no  tcjry,  so  come  along  and  we  will  drink 
his  health,  and  down  with  the  Stamps.'  The  party  then 
went  to  the  tavern,  to  drink  the  punch,  and  the  house  was 
by  this  means  saved. 

5.  As  soon  as  they  had  finished  their  punch,  they  began 
to  feel  a  return  of  their  desire  to  pull  down  a  house.  This 
they  soon  found  an  opportunity  to  gratify.  After  breaking 
into  one  or  two  dwelling  houses,  and  making  a  few  bonfires, 
they  took  up  tlieir  march  to  the  mansion  of  the  lieutenant 
governor,  Mr  Hutchinson. 

0.  This  person  is  quite  distinguished  in  the  history  of  the 
colonies,  and  did  more  than  any  one  else,  to  produce  their 
final  separation  from  the  mother  country.  He  was  born  in 
Boston,  and  was  for  a  longtime  much  beloved  and  highly  re- 
spected. But  in  the  events  immediately  before  the  revolution, 
he  behaved  with  a  meanness  and  hypocrisy,  which  ren- 
^dered  him  contemptible,  and  have  made  his  memory  odious. 


G4  ,  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

7.  When  he  heard  that  the  mob  was  approaching  his 
residence,  Mr  Hutchinson  was  taking  tea  with  his  family. 
He  immediately  sent  away  his  children,  and  after  a  while 
determined  to  follow  them.  The  mob  soon  arrived.  They 
had  become  very  powerful  and  violent,  and,  breaking  into 
the  house,  commenced  their  work  of  destruction. 

8.  Every  thing  moveable  was  soon  broken  to  pieces,  or 
carried  away.  A  large  amount  of  plate,  manuscripts,  mon- 
ey, jewels,  and  valuable  furniture  was  exposed  to  their  fury. 
They  worked  very  hard  to  tear  down  the  house,  but  it  was 
built  in  a  very  strong  style,  and  they  gave  up  the  attempt. 
They  were  only  able,  after  three  or  four  hours'  labor,  to 
throw  over  the  cupola,  and  take  up  part  of  the  roof.  The 
walls  were  left  not  mucli  injured,  though  the  mob  worked 
till  daylight.  This  house  was  afterwards  repaired,  and  re- 
mained standing  till  the  summer  of  1833,  when  it  was  re- 
moved. 

9.  The  greatest  loss,  upon  this  occasion,  was  the  destruc- 
tion of  a  large  number  of  valuable  manuscripts.  IMr  Hutch- 
inson had  been  for  years  gathering  interesting  letters,  and 
papers,  connected  with  tlie  early  history  of  the  colonies. 
His  efforts  had  been  very  successful,  and  he  had  accumulat- 
ed an  extensive  and  valuable  collection.  These  were  de- 
sti'oyed,  and  their  loss  was  not  again  to  be  repaired. 

10.  Early  on  the  next  day,  the  more  temperate  and  orderly 
citizens  called  a  town  meeting.     They  then  expressed  their 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  65 

strong  disapprobation  oftlicse  violent  measures, .and  instruct- 
ed the  magistrates  of  the  town  to  use  their  endeavors  to 
prevent  such  disturbances  in  future.  During  the  month  of 
Sej)tember  a  quantity  of  the  stamps  arrived,  and  were  de- 
posited for  safe  keeping  in  tlie  Castle. 

11.  Early  in  December,  a  report  was  circulated,  that  Mr 
Oliver  intended  to  accept  the  otRcc  of  distributor  of  stamps, 
though  he  had  previously  resigned  it.  This  caused  consid- 
erable excitement,  and  the  people  determined  to  ascertain 
its  truth.  A  large  meeting  of  the  merchants  and  principal 
inhabitants,  was  held  at  noon-day,  under  Liberty  Tree.  A 
message  was  then  dispatched  to  ]Mr  Oliver,  Avith  the  com- 
pliments of  the  people,  recjuesting  bis  appearance. 

12.  He  complied  w^th  the  invitation,  and  made  oath  that 
be  would  never  attempt  to  enforce  the  stamp  act  in  America. 
Three  cheers  were  then  given,  and  Mr  Oliver  made  a  short 
speech.  In  the  course  of  it,  he  declared  that  he  held  the 
stamp  act  in  utter  detestation,  and  would  do  all  that  lay  in 
his  power  to  serve  the  town  and  province.  lie  then  desired 
that  he  might  no  longer  be  looked  upon  as  an  enemy,  but  as 
a  friend.     His  remarks  were  received  with  shouts  and  cheers. 

13.  In  February  of  the  following  year,  a  day  was  ap- 
pointed for  a  public  burning  of  one  of  the  stamped  papers, 
in  every  town  through  the  j)rovince.  In  Boston  the  ceremo- 
ny was  performed  with  much  spirit,  and  the  bonfire  was  in- 
creased, and  graced,  by  effigies  of  two  of  the  enemies  of  the 
province,  in  full  court  dresses. 


66  HISTORV    OF    BOSTON. 

14.  In  May,  the  glad  news  was  received  in  Boston  of  the 
repeal  of  the  stamp  act.  The  greatest  joy  was  excited  by 
this  event,  and  every  mark  of  public  rejoicing  was  display- 
ed. Cannon  were  fired  under  the  Liberty  Tree,  and  in 
many  other  parts  of  the  town ;  bells  were  rung,  bonfires 
blazed,  and  the  people  were  shouting  and  cheering  in  all 
directions. 

15.  The  nineteenth  of  the  month  was  appointed  for  aday 
of  general  festivity,  in  honor  of  this  great  event.  Oh  this 
day  people  were  up  very  early,  and  immediately  after  one 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  bells  of  all  the  churches  were 
set  in  motion.  In  about  an  hour  drums  were  beating  in  all 
the  streets,  guns  were  fired,  and  there  was  noise  enough 
made  to  rouse  every  man,  woman  and  child  in  the  town. 

16.  Liberty  Tree  was  hung  round  with  banners,  and  the 
steeple  of  Mr  Byles's  Church,  in  the  neighborhood,  was 
decorated  in  a  similar  manner.  Flags  and  pendants  were 
displayed  from  the  tops,  and  at  the  windows,  of  the  houses. 
All  night  the  whole  town  was  illuminated,  and  there  was  a 
brilliant  display  of  fire-works  on  the  common,  where  a 
pyramid  was  erected,  and  lighted  with  nearly  three  hundred 
lamps.  Several  private  entertainments  were  given,  by  gen- 
tlemen who  were  interested  in  the  popular  cause. 

17.  About  midnight,  a  signal  was  given  for  the  citizens  to 
retire.  The  lights  were  extinguished,  the  music  was  silenc- 
ed, and   all   sought  their  dwellings.     On  the  following  eve- 


Liberty  Tree  hung  with  Banners. 


niSTOUY    OF    BOSTON.  69 

ning,  .ill  the  gentlemen  in  town  united  to  furnish  lanterns  for 
an  illumination  of  Liberty  Tree. 

18.  This  tree  had  grown  to  be  a  great  favorite  with  the 
people,  and  men  had  been  employed  to  prune  and  trim  it. 
On  this  evening,  every  bough  was  laden  with  lanterns,  and 
it  presented  a  very  beautiful  appearance.  A  flood  of  light 
was  shed  from  it  to  a  great  distance,  on  the  faces  of  a  happy 
and  rejoicing  crowd,  collected  from  all  quarters  of  the 
town. 


CHAPTER  ^X. 

Resistance.  Seizure  of  Hancock'' s  Sloop.  Moh.  Arrival  of 
British  troops.  Attack  on  Mr  Otis.  Agreement  of  mer- 
chants. Mr  Richardson  shoots  a  boy.  His  funeral.  Story 
of  the  Fifth  of  March.      Trial  and  acquitted  of  the  soldiers. 

1.  The  spirit  of  resistance  in  the  town  seemed  to  grow, 
with  every  indication  of  a  wish  in  the  mother  country  to 
employ  force.  Mobs  were  frequent,  and  the  collectors  of 
the  customs  were  exposed  to  occasional  peril.  In  the  month 
of  June,  1768,  an  affray  of  considerable  importance  took 
place  with  the  collectors,  which  eventually  led  to  great 
results. 

2.  Towards  twilight  on  the  tenth  of  this  month,  a  sloop, 
named  Liberty,  belonging  to  John  Hancock,  and  lying  at  his 
"wharf,  was  seized  by  the  officers  of  the  customs.  The 
British  ship  of  war  Romney  was  at  this  time  in  the  stream, 
ready  to  lend  them  assistance.  On  a  given  signal,  her  boats 
were  manned  and  sent  to  the   wharf.     The  officers  were 


Seizing  llic  Liberty. 


HISTORY    OP    BOSTON.  73 

warned  not  to  move  tlic  sloop,  l)ut  in  spite  of  all  remon- 
strances, her  fastenings  were  cut,  and  she  was  carried  under 
the  guns  of  his  Majesty's  ship. 

3.  At  this  event  tlie  people  were  exceedingly  irritated. 
A  mob  soon  collected,  and  some  of  the  officers  were  rough- 
ly handled.  A  party  of  sailors,  who  suspected  an  intention 
to  impress  them  on  board  of  the  ship,  joined  the  multitude 
and  went  in  pursuit  of  mischief.  Whilst  parading  in  the 
streets,  they  met  the  inspector,  and  treated  him  with  much 
more  rudeness,  than  he  thought  himself  entitled  to  as  a 
faithful  servant  of  the  king.  They  broke  his  sword,  made 
rags  of  part  of  his  garments,  and  obliged  him  to  seek  refuge 
in  a  house  in  King  street. 

4.  They  next  went  in  pursuit  of  one  of  the  man-of-war's 
boats,  but  finding  none  on  shore,  they  took  possession  of  a 
large  pleasure-boat  that  belonged  to  the  collector.  This 
they  dragged  through  the  streets  in  triumph,  with  loud  shouts, 
till  they  reached  the  common,  where  they  amused  themselves 
with  making  a  bonfire  of  it. 

5.  Some  other  affairs  of  this  kind  gave  a  sufficient  pre- 
tence to  General  Gage,  who  commanded  the  military  forces 
in  New  England,  to  station  a  detachment  of  regular  troops 
in  Boston.  On  the  last  day  of  September,  six  ships  of  war, 
with  an  armed  schooner  and  transports,  came  sailing  up  the 
harbor  and  ancliorcd  round  the  town.  Their  cannon  were 
loaded,  and  springs  were  on  the  cables,  that  they  might  be 
easily  slipped  ;  all  seemed  prepared  for  a  regular  siege. 

G 


74  HISTORY    OP    BOSTON. 

6.  On  the  noon  of  the  following  day,  two  regiments,  a 
part  of  a  third,  and  a  train  of  artillery  with  two  pieces  of 
cannon,  were  landed  on  the  wharf.  There  they  formed  in 
order,  and  paraded  up  King  street  with  colors  flying,  drums 
sounding  and  fifes  playing  ;  each  soldier  having  received  six- 
teen rounds  of  shot,  and  having  his  musket  charged  and 
bayonet  fixed. 

7.  Difficulties  soon  sprang  up  between  the  troops  and  the 
inhabitants.  It  was  said  that  the  soldiers  could  not  lawfully 
be  quartered  in  the  town,  while  the  barracks  at  the  castle 
were  empty.  Meanwhile  they  were  lodged  in  the  town- 
house  and  Fanueil  Hall,  and  some  in  stores  on  the  wharves. 
Guards  were  placed  at  the  doors  of  the  town-house,  which 
the  council  were  obliged  to  pass  in  going  to  their  own  cham- 
ber. Tents  covered  the  common.  Sentinels  challenged  the 
citizens  as  they  passed.  The  sabbath  was  disturbed  by  the 
sound  of  drums,  and  other  martial  music.  The  town  wore 
the  aspect  of  a  garrison,  and  all  the  inconveniences  ensued, 
which  naturally  flow  from  the  presence  of  a  military  force 
in  a  peaceful  community. 

8.  The  luxury  of  tea,  which  was  first  used  in  New  Eng- 
land about  the  year  1720,  began  now  to  be  very  unpopular. 
Many  families  in  Boston  had  resolved  to  abstain  from  the 
use  of  it,  and  several  of  the  neighboring  towns  had  con- 
cluded to  follow  their  example. 

9.  In  September  1769  a  circumstance  took  place,  which  ■ 
occasioned  a  great  excitement  among  the  good  people  of 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  75 

the  town,  and  which  led  to  an  instance  of  nohle  generosity. 
Mr  Janicd  Otis  had  hccn  insulted  in  some  paper,  by  the 
commissioners  of  the  customs ;  and  took  occasion  to  resent 
it,  by  advertising  them  as  unworthy  of  belief.  On  the  next 
evening  he  went  to  the  British  Coffee-house,  which  was 
much  visited  by  the  oflScers  in  the  interest  of  the  govern- 
ment, and  where  he  found  a  number  of  them  sitting  at  that 
time. 

10.  Among  them  was  Mr  Robinson,  one  of  the  commis- 
sioners. When  3Ir  Otis  entered,  a  quarrel  immediately 
commenced.  It  ended  in  recourse  to  violence.  The  lights 
were  extinguished,  and  Mr  Otis,  without  a  friend,  was  sur- 
rounded by  the  companions  of  Robinson.  A  young  man,  by 
the  name  of  Gridley,  happened  to  be  passing  at  the  time, 
and  boldly  came  in  to  his  assistance  ;  but  he  was  attacked, 
beaten,  and  turned  out  of  the  house. 

11.  After  some  time,  the  combatants  were  separated,  and 
Mr  Otis  was  led  home,  wounded  and  bleeding.  lie  after- 
wards commenced  an  action  at  law,  against  Robinson,  and 
the  jury  awarded  him  a  verdict  of  cf^OOO.  This  sum  he 
generously  returned,  on  receiving  a  suitable  apology. 

12.  An  event  took  place  in  February,  1770,  which  ilhis- 
trates  the  feelings  of  the  time.  The  merchants  of  the  town 
had  agreed  not  to  import  British  goods.  Some,  however, 
were  so  regardless  of  public  opinion  and  interest,  that  they 
determined  to  pursue  their  trade  as  usual.     They  of  course 


76  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

fell  under  the  censure  of  their  fellow  citizens,  and  were  ob- 
jects of  contempt  and  hatred. 

13.  By  the  house  of  one  of  these  men,  a  large  wooden 
head  had  been  fixed  on  a  pole,  ornamented  with  the  carved 
faces  of  other  importers.  A  despicable  fellow,  by  the  name 
of  Richardson,  tried  to  persuade  some  teamsters  to  run  down 
this  pole  with  their  carts.  They  knew  the  meaning  of  the 
exhibition,  however,  and  were  wise  enough  to  let  it  alone. 

14.  Richardson  persisted  in  his  folly,  and  at  last  excited 
the  attention  of  a  crowd  of  boys,  who  pelted  him  with  stones 
and  mud,  till  he  was  obliged  to  seek  shelter  in  his  own  house. 
The  little  heroes  had  caught  sometliing  of  the  angry  spirit 
of  their  fathers,  and  were  fond  of  taking  liberties  with  the 
old  fellows,  who  were  too  fond  of  their  pence,  to  look  after 
their  rights.  The  shouts  of  the  boys  drew  together  quite  a 
multitude.  A  quarrel  ensued  between  the  mob  and  Rich- 
ardson, which  ended  in  his  discharging  a  musket  from  his 
window,  and  another  from  his  door. 

15.  By  these  random  shots,  a  young  man  and  a  boy  were 
severely  wounded.  On  this  the  bells  Avere  all  set  to  ringing, 
and  a  vast  multitude  was  soon  collected.  Richardson,  with 
a  companion,  was  carried  to  Faneuil  Hall,  where  he  was 
examined  and  committed  for  trial.  In  the  course  of  the 
evening  the  lad  died,  and  three  days  afterwards  his  funeral 
was  attended  with  great  honors. 

16.  On  his  coffin  were  various  Latin  inscriptions,  suitable 
to  the  feelings  and  character  of  the  time.     On  the  foot  was 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  77 

a  sentence  which  signified  '  The  snake  lies  hid  in  the  grass;' 
and  on  the  Iiead,  '  Innocence  nowhere  safe.'  The  proces- 
sion was  formed  under  Liberty  Tree.  It  consisted  of  four 
or  five  hundred  school-boys,  walking  two  by  two  before  the 
body;  about  thirteen  hundred  citizens  on  foot,  and  thirty 
chaises  and  carriages. 

17.  This  scene  was  very  imposing,  and  was  so  arranged 
as  to  strike  gloom  into  every  heart.  The  papers  of  the  lifth 
of  March,  which  gave  an  account  of  the  ceremony,  also  told 
of  farther  difficulties  and  quarrels  between  the  soldiers  and 
the  people  of  the  town.  This  day  was  to  be  marked  by  an 
event  of  more  horror,  than  any  which  had  yet  befallen  the 
inhabitants  of  Boston.  The  massacre,  which  then  occurred, 
originated  in  a  slight  affray  between  three  or  four  young 
men,  and  a  soldier,  who  was  stationed  as  sentinel,  by  a  little 
alley  which  led  to  the  barracks  of  the  14th  regiment. 

18.  The  main  guard  of  the  troops  was  stationed  opposite 
the  town-house  ;  and  to  this  place  they  were  all  marched 
daily.  A  mob  had  been  collected  by  the  rencontre  with  the 
sentinel,  and  were  ready  for  an  attack  even  on  the  armed  sol- 
diers. They  shouted  for  the  main  guard,  and  soon  found 
the  way  to  the  neighborhood  of  their  station.  One  party 
found  a  single  sentinel  standing  before  the  door  of  the  cus- 
tom-house, which  was  in  a  building  now  occupiea  as  a  bank 
in  State  street. 

19.  It  was  a  clear  moon-light  night,  and  tlicre  was  some 
snow  on  the  ground.     As  the  mob  approached,  tlic  scntinol 


78  HISTORY    OP    BOSTON. 

retired  to  the  door  of  the  house,  and  knocked  three  or  four 
times  to  apprise  those  within  of  the  danger.  Word  was 
soon  sent  to  the  lieutenant  of  the  main  guard,  of  the  expect- 
ed assault,  and  he  dispatched  a  serjeant  with  six  men,  to  the 
relief  of  the  sentinel.  Captain  Preston  immediately  follow- 
ed them. 

20.  The  party  formed  in  a  semi-circle  about  the  steps  of 
the  custom  house.  Mr  Knox,  a  bookseller,  and  afterwards 
a  famous  general  of  the  revolution,  went  from  the  guard 
house  with  Preston,  having  his  hand  on  his  shoulder  all  the 
way  down,  and  warning  him  of  the  consequences  of  firing 
upon  the  mob.  By  this  time  all  the  bells  were  ringing,  and 
people  collected  from  every  quarter  to  ascertain  what  was 
going  on.  They  pressed  and  crowded  upon  the  soldiers, 
and  some  attacked  them  with  pieces  of  snow  and  ice,  and 
clubs,  while  from  all  sides  were  shouts  of  '  Fii*e,  fire,  if  yea 
dare.' 

21.  The  soldiers  at  length  commenced  firing,  and  three  of 
the  citizens  were  killed  on  the  spot.  Two  others  were  mor- 
tally wounded,  and  several  were  considerably  injured.  A 
cry  was  soon  raised  through  the  town  of '  To  arms,  to  arms, 
turn  out  with  your  guns,'  and  the  drums  were  beating,  and 
bells  ringing,  in  all  directions.  The  King's  Council  imme- 
diately assembled,  and  the  people  were  assured  that  Captain 
Preston  and  his  men  should  be  delivered  to  the  magistrates. 

22.  The  funeral  of  the  slain  was  attended  with  great  cere- 
mony, and  by  an  immense  multitude  ;  the  shops  were  closed, 


Fifth  of  Marcli. 


HISTORY    OF    BOfexON.  81 

and  all  the  bells  were  tolled  in  Boston,  and  the  neighboring 
towns.  The  ])rocession  formed  in  King  street,  and  march- 
ed through  the  town  to  the  burial-ground,  where  the  bodies 
were  deposited  in  one  grave. 

23.  In  the  course  of  a  few  days,  all  the  troops  were  re- 
moved to  the  Castle.  Captain  Preston  was  tried  and  ac- 
quitted. The  soldiers  were  soon  after  tried.  They  were 
defended  by  John  Adams,  and  Josiah  Quincy,  Jr.  Two 
were  ccmvicted  of  manslaughter,  and  the  other  six  were  ac- 
quitted. These  acquittals  were  highly  creditable  to  the  citi- 
zens of  the  town.  Even  in  the  midst  of  a  deep  excitement 
and  indignation,  we  see  that  they  were  governed  only  by  the 
strictest  sense  of  duty  and  justice. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Anecdote  of  the  Boston  hoys  and  General  Gage.  Importa- 
tions of  tea.  Meeting  of  the  inhabitants.  Anecdote  of  the 
Tea  Party.  Closing  of  the  port  of  Boston.  Arrival  of 
soldiers.  Their  depreciations.  Alarm.  Provincial  Con- 
gress. 

1.  It  was  at  some  time  during  the  stay  of  the  British  troops 
in  Boston,  that  a  circumstance  occurred  which  displays  the 
spirit  of  the  Boston  boys.  In  the  winter  time,  the  boys 
were  in  the  habit  of  building  hills  of  snow,  and  sliding  from 
them  to  the  pond  on  the  Common.  The  English  soldiers,  in 
the  love  of  mischief,  found  no  objects  too  small  for  their 
malice,  and  destroyed  all  their  works.  They  complained  of 
this  injury,  and  set  about  repairing  it,  but  on  their  return 
from  school,  they  found  the  snow-hills  again  demolished. 

2.  Several  of  them  now  waited  on  the  British  captain, 
and.  informed  him  of  the  misconduct  of  his  soldiers.  No 
regard  was  paid  to  their  complaint,  and  it  was  at  length 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  83 

resolved  to  call  a  meeting  of  the  largest  boys,  and  wait  ifpon 
General  Gage  with  a  statement  of  their  grievances.  When 
the  boys  were  conducted  before  the  general,  he  asked,  with 
some  surprise,  the  occasion  of  their  visit.  '  AVe  come,  sir,' 
answered  the  leader,  '  to  ask  for  punishment  on  those  who 
wrong  us.' 

3.  '  Why,  my  little  fellows,'  replied  the  general,  '  have 
your  fathers  been  bringing  you  up  rebels,  and  sent  you  here 
to  talk  rebellion  V  '  Nobody  sent  us,  sir,'  answered  the  first 
speaker,  *  we  have  never  abused  or  insulted  your  soldiers  ; 
but  they  have  spoiled  our  skating  ground,  and  trodden  down 
our  snow-iiills.  We  complained,  and  they  only  laughed  at 
us.  We  told  the  captain,  and  he  sent  us  away.  Yesterday 
our  works  were  again  destroyed,  and  we  can  bear  it  no 
longer.' 

4.  General  Gage  looked  at  the  boys  in  admiration,  when 
turning  to  an  officer  by  his  side,  he  exclaimed,  '  Good  heav- 
ens !  tiie  very  cliildren  draw  in  a  love  of  liberty  with  the  air 
they  breathe.'  To  the  boys  he  added,  '  you  may  go,  my 
brave  lads,  and  if  any  of  my  soldiers  disturb  you  in  future, 
they  siiall  be  severely  punislied.' 

5.  You  remember  that  1  told  you  in  the  last  chapter,  of 
a  determination  to  abolish  the  use  of  tea.  But  there  was 
still  a  good  deal  of  this  pleasant  article  consumed,  and  a  fa- 
vorable license  was  granted  to  the  EngHsh  I^ast  India  Com- 
pany, to  export  a  large  quantity  of  it  to  America.  A  num- 
ber of  American  merchants,  at  this  time  in  London,  were 


84  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

very  eager  to  obtain  the  privilege  of  furnishing  vessels  to 
carry  this  obnoxious  cargo.  These  facts  became  known  in 
Boston  early  in  the  October  of  1773,  and  meetings  were  im- 
mediately held  in  various  parts  of  the  town  to  prevent  the 
landing  of  it. 

6.  When  the  tea  arrived,  the  people  resolved  that  it  should 
be  sent  back  immediately.  About  the  middle  of  December, 
a  large  meeting  was  held  at  the  Old  South,  at  which  at  least 
two  thousand  men  were  present  from  tlie  neighboring  towns. 
At  this  meeting,  Mr  Rotch  was  ordered  to  get  his  tea  ship 
ready  for  sea  that  day,  and  proceed  directly  to  the  governor 
and  demand  a  pass  to  go  by  the  Castle. 

7.  The  governor  at  that  time  resided  in  Milton,  at  the  dis- 
tance of  seven  or  eight  miles.  Meanwhile  the  meeting  ad- 
journed till  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  Mr  Rotch  did 
not  return  till  nearly  six,-  and  in  the  interval,  Josiah  Quin- 
cy  Jr.,  addressed  the  assembly  with  much  eloquence,  on  the 
importance  of  the  present  crisis.  The  answer  of  the  gover- 
nor was,  '  that  for  the  honor  of  the  laws,  and  from  duty 
towards  the  king,  he  could  not  grant  the  permit  until  the 
vessel  was  regularly  cleared.' 

8.  A  great  commotion  in  the  meeting  followed  this  reply. 
Some  one  in  the  crowd  exclaimed,  '  Who  knows  how  tea 
will  mingle  with  salt  water?'  There  were  about  sixty  per- 
sons present  disguised  in  the  manner  of  the  Indians.  One  of 
their  number  at  this  moment  raised  the  war-whoop,  and  the 
assembly  immediately  dispersed.     Mr  Samuel  Adams  cried 


niSTORY    OP    BOSTON.  85 

out,  that  it  was  a  trick  of  the  enemy  to  disperse  the  meeting, 
and  requested  the  people  to  kee|)  tlieir  ])Uices.  IJiit  the  dis- 
guised Indians  rushed  to  the  wharf,  and  went  on  hoard  tlio 
ships  loaded  with  tea. 

9.  Here  they  set  to  work  in  earnest,  with  holdness  and 
hearty  good  will,  and  in  a  little  less  than  two  hours,  they 
had  made  tea  of  half  the  water  in  the  dock.  Ahout  two 
hundred  and  forty  chests,  with  a  hundred  half  chests,  were 
staved  and  emptied  over  the  sides  of  the  vessels.  The  affair 
was  conducted  without  disturbance,  and  no  injury  was  done 
to  any  thing  but  the  tea.  You  will  find  a  picture  of  this,  at 
the  heginning  of  the  hook. 

10.  Tills  aflaii-  took  place  almost  under  the  guns  of  the 
Castle,  and  in  the  presence  of  several  ships  of  war,  at  that 
time  floating  in  the  harhor.  It  is  a  little  singular,  that  the 
British  troops  were  not  called  in,  to  put  a  stoj)  to  it.  The 
names  of  the  men,  who  had  the  boldness  and  spirit  to  en- 
gage in  this  i)lan,  have  never  all  been  made  pu!)lic.  The 
last  surviving  member  of  the  party  recently  died. 

11.  The  news  of  this  transaction  was  received  in  England 
with  great  indignation.  A  bill  was  passed  in  jiarliament, 
which  enacted,  that  from  and  after  the  first  of  .Tune,  the 
landing  and  discharging,  lading  or  shipping  of  goods,  in  the 
harbor  of  Boston,  should  be  discontinued.  This  act  occa- 
sioned great  distress  in  the  town.  All  business  ceased.  The 
poor  were  thrown  out  of  employment,  and  the  necessaries 
of  life  rose  to  a  very  high  price.    It  would  iiavc  been  almost 


86  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

impossible  for  the  very  poor  to  have  subsisted,  if  it  had  not 
been  for  the  assistance  and  encouragement  of  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  neighboring  towns. 

12.  During  the  summer  of  1774,  troops  had  been  con- 
tinually arriving,  and  were  employed  in  building  fortifica- 
tions and  barracks  on  the  neck.  The  town's  people  would 
give  them  no  aid  in  erecting  these  works,  and  laborers  were 
hired  from  other  places.  Early  in  September  two  hun- 
dred of  these  soldiers  sailed  up  the  river  Mystic,  and  stole 
from  the  powder-house  on  Quarry  Hill,  a  ]arge  quantity  of 
powder,  which  belonged  to  the  province. 

13.  A  number  of  the  same  party  also  went  to  Cambridge, 
and  marched  off  with  a  couple  of  field-pieces.  These  out- 
rages raised  a  great  alarm,  and  several  thousand  persons 
assembled  in  arms  in  Cambridge,  and  obliged  all  the  indi- 
viduals, who  were  favorably  disposed  to  the  government,  to 
forswear  all  offices  under  the  new  order  of  things. 

14.  General  Gage  was  at  this  time  governor,  and  had  de- 
termined to  assemble  a  General  Court  at  Salem,  on  the  fifth 
of  October.  The  prevailing  excitement  alarmed  him,  and 
he  deferred  the  meeting  by  proclamation.  The  representa- 
tives however  appeared,  assembled,  and  formed  themselves 
into  a  provincial  congress.  This  congress  chose  John  Han- 
cock for  chairman,  and  Benjamin  Lincoln  for  clerk.  They 
then  adjourned,  to  meet  at  Concord,  on  the  eleventh  of  the 
month. 

15.  This  congress  advised  the  people  to   supply  them- 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  87 

selves  with  arms  and  ammunition.  Governor  Gage  de- 
nounced the  congress  as  an  unhiwful  assembly,  and  one 
with  whose  recommendations  it  would  be  dangerous  to  com- 
ply. The  same  assembly,  however,  met  again  in  December, 
and  appointed  a  body  which  they  termed  a  committee  of 
safety.  It  was  the  duty  of  this  committee  to  watch  over  the 
general  interests  of  the  State,  to  call  together  the  militia 
when  necessary,  and  to  station  them  in  such  places  as  they 
should  think  proper. 

IG.  In  the  neighborhood  of  Boston,  the  state  of  aftairs 
was  very  serious.  Every  exertion  was  made  to  arm  the  peo- 
ple, and  to  provide  them  with  such  articles  as  they  would 
need  in  war.  In  carrying  these  from  the  town  to  the  country, 
the  inhabitants  were  obliged  to  be  very  cunning  and  cautious, 
in  order  to  deceive  the  guard  on  the  neck.  Cannon  balls 
were  concealed  in  loads  of  manure,  powder  and  shot  in  the 
baskets  of  the  marketmen,  and  in  candle  boxes. 

17.  Towards  the  close  of  1774,  there  were  eleven  British 
regiments  stationed  in  Boston.  Five  hundred  soldiers  pa- 
raded, and  were  on  duty  daily.  The  conduct  of  the  troops 
was  at  first  peaceable  ;  but  in  the  course  of  the  winter  they 
were  guilty  of  several  acts  of  outrage  and  riot. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Col.  Neshit  and  the  countryman.  Battles  of  Lexington  and 
Concord.  Retreat  of  the  regular  troops.  lilockade  of 
Boston.  Governor'' s  proclamation.  Battle  of  BunJcer^s 
Hill.  Burning  of  Charlestoicn.  Siege  of  Boston.  Gen- 
eral Washington.     Proclamation.     Distress. 

1.  In  March  1775  the  public  feeling  was  much  excited, 
by  the  disgraceful  conduct  of  a  British  officer.  The  inhab- 
itants of  the  neighboring  towns  were  suspected  of  pur- 
chasing guns  of  the  soldiers.  In  order  to  inflict  a  striking 
punishment  for  this  offence,  an  officer  of  some  rank,  by  the 
name  of  Nesbit,  ordered  one  of  his  men  to  offer  a  country- 
man an  old  rusty  musket.  A  farmer  from  Billerica  was 
tempted  by  this  offer,  and  bought  the  gun  for  three  dollars. 

2.  The  poor  fellow  was  immediately  seized  by  Nesbit 
and  confined  all  night,  in  the  guard  house.  Eai'ly  next 
morning,  the  soldiers  stripped  him  entirely  naked,  covered 
him  with   tar  and   feathers,  and    carted  him  through  the 


HISTORY    OF   nOSTON.  89 

streets,  to  Liberty  Tree,  where  tliey  were  obliged  by  the 
citizens  to  release  him,  ami  retreat  to  their  barracks.  The 
party  was  composed  of  about  thirty  grenadiers  with  fixed 
bayonets,  twenty  drums  and  fifes,  headed  by  the  valiant 
Nesbit  with  a  drawn  sword.  A  British  uniform  has  seldom 
been  so  miserably  disgraced,  as  it  was  on  this  occasion. 

3.  At  nightfall,  on  the  eighteenth  of  April,  General  Gage 
dispatched  a  body  of  eight  or  nine  hundred  soldiers,  to  de- 
stroy the  military  stores  wiiich  had  been  collected  at  Con- 
cord, a  town  about  eighteen  miles  from  Boston.  Having 
reached  Lexington,  six  miles  distant  from  Concord,  they 
were  met  by  a  company  of  militia,  who  had  hastily  assem- 
bled from  the  difVeront  villages  on  the  first  alarm.  It  was 
about  sunrise.  The  British  advanced  at  quick  march  to 
within  a  few  rods,  when  Major  Pitcairn  called  out  in  a  loud 
voice,  '  disperse,  you  rebels,  throw  down  your  arms  and  dis- 
perse.' 

4.  Their  number  was  too  small  to  risk  a  battle.  While 
they  were  dispersing,  the  British  shouted,  and  by  a  discharge 
from  their  ranks,  killed  several  of  the  party.  They  then 
renewed  their  march  to  Concord,  where  they  destroyed  a 
few  articles  of  stores,  and  sixty  barrels  of  flour.  The  militia 
men  had  now  collected  in  considerable  numbers.  Beingen- 
raged  at  the  loss  of  their  companions,  they  made  a  bold  and 
furious  attack  on  the  enemy,  and  drove  them  back  to  Lex- 
ington. Hearing  of  the  situation  of  his  troops,  (Jeneral 
Gage   sent  a  large  reinforcement,  with  two  field-pieces,  to 

7 


90  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

their    assistance.     The    united    forces    amounted   to    about 
eighteen  hundred  men. 

5.  In  their  hurried  retreat,  the  regular  troops  were  pur- 
sued with  the  utmost  activity.  From  the  cover  of  trees,  and 
stone  walls,  the  undisciplined  farmers  were  able  to  thin  the 
ranks  of  the  enemy,  with  great  success.  The  situation  of 
the  king's  forces,  during  the  day,  was  extremely  hazardous, 
and  it  is  wonderful  that  so  many  of  them  escaped.  Worn 
down  with  fatigue,  and  almost  exhausted,  they  reached 
Charlestown,  about  seven  in  the  evening,  with  the  loss  of 
two  hundred  and  seventy-three  men,  killed,  wounded  and 
taken  prisoners.     The  next  dayjhey  entered  Boston. 

6.  Hostilities  had  now  commenced.  The  strongest  ex- 
citement prevailed  tliroughout  all  New  England.  The  coun- 
try militia  assembled  from  every  quarter  in  great  numbers, 
and  in  the  course  of  two  days,  Boston  was  in  a  complete 
state  of  blockade.  Many  of  the  inhabitants  were  in  a  very 
miserable  situation.  All  intercourse  between  the  town  and 
country  ceased.  Liberty  poles  were  erected  in  almost  every 
village,  and  all  who  fell  under  suspicion  were  obliged  to 
make  a  public  recantation  of  their  odious  principles. 

7.  Towards  the  end  of  May,  the  British  army  was  rein- 
forced by  considerable  numbers.  About  the  middle  of  June, 
General  Gage  issued  a  proclamation,  in  which  he  declared 
the  province  of  Massachusetts  to  be  in  a  state  of  rebellion, 
and  offered  pardon  to  all  who  would  resort  to  his  standard. 


Passage  to  Charlestown. 


HISTORY    or    BOSTON.  93 

He  was  pleased  to  deny  pardon,  particularly,  to  Jolin  Han- 
cock and  Samuel  Adams. 

8.  The  American  commanders  had  obtained  information, 
that  the  Briti^jji  intended  to  post  themselves  on  Bunker's  Hill. 
The  position  was  a  very  important  one,  and  it  was  deter- 
mined to  defeat  their  design.  Accordingly,  on  the  sixteenth 
of  June,  9  band  of  one  thousand  provincials,  under  the 
command  of  Colonel  Prcscott,  was  sent  to  take  possession 
of  the  station.  It  was  late  in  the  evening,  before  they 
reached  the  heights,  and  full  midnight  before  they  com- 
menced to  dig  the  entrenchments.  They  proceeded  in  their 
labors  with  order  and  the  utmost  silence,  and  it  was  the  next 
morning  before  the  Britisii  knew  any  thing  of  their  <ypera- 
tions. 

9.  At  day-break,  the  hasty  works  of  the  night  were  dis- 
covered, and  a  heavy  cannonade  was  immediately  com- 
menced, from  the  ships,  the  floating  batteries,  and  all  the 
fortifications  which  could  be  made  of  any  service.  Bombs  and 
shot  were  incessantly  pouring  among  the  hardy  provincials, 
who  contimicd  with  unheeding  ])erscvcrance  to  strcnuthen 
their  breastworks.  In  the  course  of  the  forenoon  they 
received  an  addition  to  their  numbers,  so  tliat  they  now 
counted  about  fifteen  hundred  men. 

10.  At  one  o'clock,  the  royal  fitrccs  were  observed  pass- 
ing over  to  Charlestown,  in  boats  and  barges.  They  con- 
sisted of  about  three  thousand  men,  well  provided  with  ar- 
tillery.    They  were  formed  in  two  lines,  and  advanced  with 


94  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

great  intrepidity  to  the  attack.  The  Americans  withheld 
their  fire,  till  they  were  within  eight  or  ten  rods,  or  as  Gen- 
eral Putnam  said,  'till  they  saw  the  white  of  their  enemies' 
eyes.'  Their  discharge  of  musketry  was  then  general,  and 
very  fatal,  till  the  regular  troops  were  driven  back  in  disor- 
der, even  to  their  boats.  With  great  difficulty,  the  officers 
succeeded  in  rallying  them,  and  they  again  marched  forward 
with  valor,  till  a  second  deadly  fire  again  put  them  to 
flight. 

11.  A  third  assault  was  more  successful.  The  Americans 
had  expended  nearly  all  their  ammunition,  and  could  obtain 
no  farther  supply.  After  i-esisting,  as  bravely  as  they  could, 
with  stones,  and  the  butts  of  their  muskets,  they  retreated 
under  a  heavy  fire.  They  were  not  very  warmly  pursued, 
and  met  with  inconsiderable  loss. 

12.  Among  the  killed  was  General  Joseph  Warren,  one 
of  the  earliest,  and  most  zealous  patriots.  Such  were  his 
valor  and  zeal,  that  he  rushed  into  the  very  front  of  the 
field,  encouraging  the  soldiers  by  his  noble  example.  Near 
the  close  of  the  battle,  he  received  a  fatal  shot,  and  instantly 
died.  His  loss  was  much  lamented,  and  his  memory  is  cov- 
ered with  glory. 

13.  Just  at  the  commencement  of  the  battle,  orders  were 
given  by  the  British  general,  to  set  fire  to  Charlestown. 
In  a  short  time,  this  ancient  town,  consisting  of  about  five 
hundred  buildings,  was  wrapped  in  flames.  It  was  almost 
entirely  consumed,  and  a  great  amount  of  property,  belong- 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  96 

ing  to  the  distressed  inlutbitants  of  Boston,  was  also  destroy- 
ed. The  battle,  and  the  conflaf^ration  presented  a  scene  of 
the  most  intense  interest,  to  many  tlionsand  spectators,  who, 
from  the  surronndinj;  lieijrhts,  the  lionses,  and  steeples  of 
the  neighboring  towns,  were  waiting  tlie  issue  of"  the  con- 
test. 

14.  The  main  body  of  the  regular  troops  was  immedi- 
ately stationed  on  tiie  hill,  which  they  had  purchased  so 
dearly.  Another  division  of  them  was  strongly  fortified  on 
Boston  Neck.  The  provincials  were  encamped  in  various 
parts  of  Cambridge  and  Roxbury,  extending  over  the  space 
of  twelve  miles.  Every  pass  to  Boston  was  guarded  with 
the  utmost  vigilance.  No  provisions  of  any  kind  were  allow- 
ed to  enter.  Both  the  iidiabitanls  and  the  soldiers  were  re- 
duced to  great  distress. 

1.5.  On  the  second  of  July,  Cencral  Washington  arrived 
at  the  scat  of  war,  and  took  command  of  the  j)rovincial 
army.  He  fixed  his  head  ({uaiters  at  a  house  in  Cambridge, 
not  far  from  the  colleges.  The  students  had  rclunicd  to 
their  homes,  and  the  college  buildings  were  occupied  by  the 
soldiers.     The  army  was  daily  increasing. 

10.  Early  in  October,  (ieneral  (»age  sailed  for  liUgland, 
and  left  the  command  of  the  regular  troops  with  General 
Howe.  A  proclamatimi  was  issued,  whicii  threatened  death 
to  any  one  of  the  inhabitants,  who  should  attempt  to  (juit 
Boston  without  a  license.  It  also  declared,  that  if  any 
were  licensed  to  depart,  and  attempted  to  carry  away  more 


96  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

than  five  pounds  in  specie,  they  should  forfeit  the  whole 
sum,  and  be  punished  by  fine  and  imprisonment. 

17.  A  number  of  vessels,  bound  to  Boston,  loaded  with 
arms  and  provisions,  were  taken  in  the  course  of  the  au- 
tumn, by  American  privateers.  These  losses  were  very  se- 
verely felt  in  the  besieged  town,  and  exposed  the  soldiers 
and  inhabitants  almost  to  a  state  of  starvation.  They  were 
even  reduced  to  feeding  upon  the  flesh  of  their  horses. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

AnerfTnfra  of  the  sir^r.  Bullets  and  Beetles.  Si  arcity  of 
fuel.  Outrages  of  the  Soldiers.  Attack  on  C/iarlestown. 
Amusing  incident.  Washington  takes  jwssession  of  Dor- 
chester Heights.  Evacuation  of  Boston.  Entry  of  the 
American  armij. 

1.  Sosin  amusing  anecdotes  are  related  of  the  siege. 
Once,  two  or  three  British  officers  were  walking  on  Beacon 
Hill  in  tlie  evening,  and  were  suddenly  very  much  alarmed, 
by  a  noise  in  the  air,  which  they  imagined  to  he  the  whiz- 
zing of  bullets.  They  fled  in  great  baste,  and  wrote  fear- 
ful accounts  to  their  friends  in  England,  of  being  shot  at 
with  air-guns.  The  whizzing  noise,  which  frightened  these 
valiant  officers,  happened  to  be  nothing  more  than  (he  buzz 
of  a  beetle. 

2.  Towards  winter,  the  want  of  fuel  became  very  distres- 
sing. The  Old  North  church,  a  very  valuable  building,  was 
entirely  demolished,  and  consumed  by  the  soldiers,  for  fire- 


98  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

wood.  More  than  a  hundred  wooden  hiiildings  on  some  of 
the  wharves,  were  taken  down,  and  used  for  the  same  pur- 
pose. One  day  the  soldiers  amused  themselves  with  cutting 
down  Liberty  Tree,  an  occasion  of  great  mirth  and  mer- 
riment. 

3.  The  Old  South  church  was  used  as  a  riding-school. 
The  pulpit  and  ])ews  were  removed,  and  burned  for  fuel  ; 
the  floor  was  covered  with  earth,  and  Burgoyne's  regiment 
of  dragoons  exercised  there.  The  soutli  door  was  closed, 
and  a  bar  was  fixed,  over  which  the  cavalry  were  taught  to 
leap  their  horses  at  full  speed.  A  beautiful  pew,  ornament- 
ed with  carved  work  and  silk  furniture,  was  destroyed  ;  and 
part  of  it  was  used  as  a  fence  for  a  hog-sty. 

4.  On  the  ninth  of  February  177G,  a  detachment  of  about 
a  hundred  men  left  the  American  camp,  and  made  an  in- 
cursion into  Charlestown.  It  was  their  purpose,  to  burn  a 
number  of  the  houses  still  standing,  in  order  to  deprive  the 
enemy  of  their  use.  This  object  was  effected.  About  ten 
houses  were  destroyed,  and  in  less  than  two  hours  the  de- 
tachment returned,  bringing  away  a  lot  of  muskets,  and 
without  the  loss  of  a  single  man. 

5.  This  affair  is  connected  with  a  laughable  incident, 
which  happened  at  Boston.  On  the  night  of  the  attack, 
the  British  officers  were  amusing  themselves  with  a  farce, 
in  ridicule  of  the  Yankees.  It  was  called  the  Blockade  of 
Boston,  and  is  said  to  have  been  written  by  General  Bur- 
goyne.     The  figure   intended  to  represent  General  Wash- 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  99 

ington,  was  dressed  in  an  odd  style,  with  a  long  rusty  sword, 
and  a  Im^e  wijj,  attended  by  liis  orderly  serjeant,  in  a  rude 
country  dress,  with  an  old  gun  seven  or  «ight  feet  in 
length. 

G.  At  tlie  moment  this  fiourc  appeared,  one  of  the  British 
Serjeants  came  running  breathless  upon  the  stage,  and  ex- 
claimed — '  Tlie  Yankees  are  attacking  our  works  on  Bun- 
ker's Ilill.'  Tlic  spectators  laughed,  and  thought  the  scene 
quite  funny,  but  when  General  Howe  called  out,  'Officers 
to  your  posts,'  they  began  to  see  tliat  it  was  all  real,  and  not 
part  of  the  play.  Great  confusion  followed.  The  ladies 
shrieked  and  fainted,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  theatre  was 
empty.  The  Yankees  had  provided  an  entertainment  for 
them,  of  a  different  kind. 

7.  Washington  had  been  for  some  time  contemplating  an 
attack  upon  Boston.  The  American  army  consisted  of 
about  20,000  men.  With  these  troops,  he  determined  to 
lake  possession  of  Dorchester  heights,  a  position,  from 
which  tbe  ships  and  soldiers  of  the  enemy,  could  be  annoy- 
ed with  much  success.  On  the  night  of  the  fourth  of  March, 
this  plan  was  to  be  executed.  The  evening  came  with  a 
full  bright  moon,  and  a  very  mild,  ])leasant  air.  A  heavy 
bombardment  was  opened,  soon  after  dark,  on  the  town 
and  the  lines  of  the  enemy. 

8.  This  fire  served  to  conceal  their  purpose,  and  a  con- 
siderable detachment  passed  under  its  cover,  to  take  posses- 
sion  of  the   heights.     The   ground  was  very  hard,   but  by 


100  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

working  with  great  industry,  they  had  so  far  completed  two 
forts  before  morning,  that  they  formed  a  sufficient  defence 
against  grape  shot  and  small  arms.  When  General  Howe 
saw  these  forts  at  day-break,  much  magnified  in  their  ap- 
pearance, by  the  haziness  of  the  air,  he  was  struck  with 
perfect  astonishment.  '  I  know  not  what  I  shall  do,'  he 
said  ;  '  the  rebels  have  effected  more  in  one  night  than  my 
whole  army  would  have  done  in  weeks.' 

9.  A  tremendous  cannonade  was  immediately  commen- 
ced, from  the  forts  in  Boston,  and  the  ships  of  war  in  the 
harbor.  The  royal  troops  were  seen  to  be  in  motion,  audit 
was  not  known  what  direction  would  be  given  to  them. 
General  Howe  had  concluded  to  make  an  attack  on  the 
works,  and  to  dislodge  the  provincials. 

10.  He  commanded  the  execution  of  this  plan,  but  a  vio- 
lent storm  came  on  at  night,  and  completely  defeated  it. 
A  council  of  war  was  called  the  next  morning,  and  a  flag 
of  truce  was  sent  to  General  Washington,  with  a  message 
from  the  selectmen  of  the  town.  An  offer  was  made  by  the 
British  officers  to  retire  from  Boston,  and  leave  it  standing, 
if  they  might  be  allowed  to  retire  unmolested. 

11.  On  the  morning  of  the  seventeenth  of  March,  the 
royal  army  commentjed  their  embarkation.  In  the  course 
of  the  forenoon  all  their  fleet  was  under  sail,  and  was  suf- 
fered to  leave  the  harbor  without  injury.  By  this  event, 
the  inhabitants  of  Boston  were  relieved  of  the  presence  of 
a  powerful  enemy.     Immediately   after  they  had   set   sail. 


HISTORY    OF    nOSTON. 

General  "Wasliington  ordered  the  greater  part  of  his  ar) 
to  march  to  New  York,  in  order  to  protect  that  city  again'S 
an  expected  attack  of  the  IJritish  force. 

r2.  In  the  course  of  two  or  three  days,  the  American 
troops  were  allowed  to  enter  Boston.  As  they  inarched 
through  the  streets,  they  were  greeted  by  the  shouts  of  the 
inhal)itants,  who  had  been  relieved  from  their  oppressive 
imprisonment.  Every  thing,  however,  wore  an  aspect  of 
gloom,  and  told  too  plainly,  that  Boston  had  been  a  garri- 
soned town. 

I'i.  The  common  was  found  to  be  much  disfigured  by 
ditches  and  cellars,  which  had  been  dug  by  the  British 
troops  for  their  accommodation  while  in  camp.  The  fence 
about  the  common,  and  many  of  the  trees  had  been  cut 
down  for  fuel.  It  is  said  that  the  Tories  had  commenced 
the  destruction  of  all  the  trees  in  the  mall,  but  had  been 
stopped  by  the  orders  of  General  Howe.  As  we  walk  under 
the  shade  of  those  aged  and  majestic  elms,  we  may  remem- 
ber tliat  we  arc  indebted  for  tlieir  preservation,  to  the  gene- 
rosity of  an  enemy. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

John  Hancock.  Proclamation  of  peace.  Josiah  Quincy,  Jr. 
His  reply  to  a  menacifig  letter.  His  visit  to  England. 
Death  on  his  voyage  home.  James  Otis.  His  derange- 
ment.    Residence  at  Andover.     Death. 

1.  From  the  period  of  the  evacuation  of  Boston  by  the 
British  troops,  the  scene  of  war  was  removed  to  a  dis- 
tance. The  inhabitants,  however,  continued  throughout  the 
contest  of  eight  years,  to  preserve  the  spirit  which  they  had 
shown  at  its  commencement.  The  proscribed  John  Han- 
cock, who  had  the  honor  of  placing  the  first  signature  to 
the  Declaration  of  American  Independence,  was  the  first 
governor  chosen  under  the  new  constitution  of  Massa- 
chusetts. 

2.  The  proclamation  of  congress,  which  announced  the 
peace,  was  received  at  Boston,  on  the  twenty-third  of  April 
1783.  It  was  read  at  noon-day,  from  the  balcony  of  the 
old  town-house.  A  large  number  of  the  citizens  were  col- 
lected on  this  occasion,  and  gave  evidence  of  their  joy  by 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  103 

loud  shouts  and  cheers.     Cannon  were  then  fired  from  Fort 
Hill  and  from  the  Castle. 

3.  I  shall  now  tell  you  a  few  stories,  of  some  of  the  men, 
wha  were  most  distinguished  in  the  times  of  the  revolution, 
and  in  the  times  which  followed  it.  You  have  already  heard 
of  Josiah  Quincy,  Jr,  and  James  Otis.  These  men  were 
unfortunately  not  spared  long  to  their  country,  in  the  period 
of  her  greatest  trouhles. 

4.  Josiah  Quincy,  Jr  was  born  in  Boston,  in  February 
1744.  lie  received  his  education  at  Harvard  College,  and 
pursued  the  study  of  the  law  in  his  native  town.  His  zeal 
and  ardor,  against  every  encroachment  of  the  mother  coun- 
try, soon  made  him  cons{)icuous.  He  spoke  and  wrote 
against  all  her  usurpations,  with  great  talent  and  eloquence. 

5.  1  have  already  told  you  of  his  defence  of  the  soldiers, 
who  were  concerned  in  the  massacre  of  the  fifth  of  March. 
This  was  the  most  trying  event  of  his  life.  It  is  that  which 
now  reflects  the  greatest  honor  on  him,  though  for  a  time  it 
rather  clouded  his  popularity.  Until  1772,  he  continued  in 
the  active  pursuit  of  his  profession,  and  in  circulating  his 
generous  and  |)atriotic  opinions. 

(5.  His  health  had  now  been  so  much  injured  by  incessant 
application,  that  he  was  obliged  to  abandon  biii-iness  alto- 
gether. It  was  necessary  for  him  to  suck  a  milder  climate, 
and  he  paid  a  visit  to  South  Carolina.  On  his  return  he 
again  resumed  his  labors,  and  prepared  his  chief  political 
work  for  publication. 


104  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

7.  When  this  work  was  advertised  as  in  the  press,  Mr 
Quincy  received  a  letter,  in  which  he  was  tlireatened  with 
loss  of  life,  and  of  his  estate,  if  he  published  it.  To  these 
menaces,  a  request  was  added,  which  conjured  him  to  aban- 
don his  present  course,  and  devote  his  talents  to  the  interests 
of  the  British  government. 

8.  Mr  Quincy  published  in  one  of  the  papers  of  the  day, 
a  reply  to  this  insolent  communication.  'The  danger  and 
the  wrongs  of  my  country,'  he  said,  '  are  to  me  equally  ap- 
parent. In  all  my  public  exertions,  I  feel  a  sense  of  right 
and  duty,  that  not  only  satisfies  my  conscience,  but  inspires 
my  zeal.  While  I  have  this  sentiment,  I  shall  persevere, 
till  my  understanding  is  convinced  of  its  error,  —  a  convic- 
tion that  will  not  be  wrought  by  the  arm  of  power,  or  the 
hand  of  an  assassin.' 

9.  In  the  fall  of  1774,  Mr  Quincy  was  prevailed  upon  to 
sail  for  London,  in  the  hope  that  his  presence  there  might 
promote  the  interests  of  his  native  land.  There  he  became 
acquainted  with  some  of  the  most  eminent  men  of  Eng- 
land, and  labored  with  unwearied  diligence,  for  the  service 
of  his  countrymen.  During  this  time,  he  maintained  a  con- 
stant correspondence  with  the  friends  of  liberty  at  home. 

10.  He  remained  in  London  till  early  in  the  spring  of 
1775,  when  he  embarked  for  America.  It  was  thought  that 
his  return  was  desirable,  for  the  interests  of  the  cause  in 
which  he  had  engaged.  Though  his  health  was  so  much 
impaired,  that   he  was  convinced  his  only  hope  of  recovery 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  105 

was  by  remaining  in  England,  he  thought  it  his  duty  to 
sacrifice  even  life  itself,  for  his  country.  The  sacrifice,  liow- 
ever,  was  in  vain.  In  sight  of  his  dear  native  land,  but  be- 
fore he  reached  her  shores,  he  died,  a  martyr  to  his  love  of 
country. 

11.  The  fate  of  James  Otis  was  more  melancholy.  I 
have  told  you  of  the  cowardly  assault  upon  him  in  the  coffee- 
house, and  of  his  generous  conduct  afterwards.  In  1770 
he  retired  into  the  country  for  his  health.  The  wounds  he 
had  received  were  thought  to  have  occasioned  partial  de- 
rangement. His  mind  became  seriously  affected,  and  con- 
tinued so  with  intervals  of  reason,  till  his  death.  Some- 
times he  was  full  of  humor  and  eccentricity  ;  again,  he  would 
be  almost  in  a  state  of  madness. 

12.  He  passed  the  last  two  years  of  his  life  at  Andover. 
After  residing  there  some  time,  his  health  was  supposed  to 
be  completely  restored,  and  he  returned  and  resumed  his 
professional  pursuits  in  Boston.  At  this  visit,  he  argued  a 
case  in  court,  in  which  he  is  said  to  have  displayed  much 
ability,  though  less  than  usual.  lie  was  induced  to  go  back 
to  Andover,  and  in  about  six  weeks  afterwards  was  killed 
by  a  stroke  of  lightning.  This  melancholy  event  happened 
in  the  sixtieth  year  of  his  age,  May  23,  1783. 

8 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Early  patriots.  John  Hancock.  His  birth  and  education* 
He  receives  a  large  fortune.  Anecdote.  Chosen  president 
of  Congress.  Elected  Governor.  His  death.  Character. 
Anecdote. 

1.  I  AM  now  going  to  tell  you  a  few  anecdotes  of  the  dis- 
tinguished patriots,  John  Hancock,  and  Samuel  Adams. 
They  were  early  and  active  in  the  cause  of  liberty,  and 
their  names  will  ever  be  remembered  with  honor,  in  our 
history. 

2.  John  Hancock  was  born  at  Quincy,  in  1737,  and  re- 
ceived his  education  at  Harvard  College.  His  father  died 
when  he  was  a  child,  and  he  was  then  adopted  by  his  uncle, 
the  richest  merchant  in  Boston,  and  a  man  of  liberality  and 
public  spirit.  This  benevolent  man  took  the  entire  charge 
of  his  young  nephew,  and,  on  the  completion  of  his  studies, 
received  him  into  his  counting  house. 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  107 

3.  After  a  few  years,  he  sent  him  to  England,  to  become 
acquaihtcci  with  business  and  foreign  merchants.  He  died 
in  17()4,  leaving  his  nephew  his  extensive  business,  and  the 
largest  estate  in  the  province.  This  sudden  possession  of 
great  riches  brought  him  at  once  before  the  public  ;  and  his 
conduct  gained  him  general  good  will  and  esteem. 

4.  In  the  course  of  iiis  business,  he  employed  great  inim- 
bers  of  people,  and  by  his  habits  of  industry  and  liberality, 
acquired  extensive  influence.  At  length,  he  was  made  a 
member  of  the  provincial  legislature.  An  anecdote,  con- 
nected with  this  event,  is  thus  related  by  President  Adams. 

5.  *  I  was  one  day  walking  in  the  Mall,  and  accidentally 
met  Samuel  Adams.  In  taking  a  few  turns  together,  we 
came  in   full   view  of  Mr  Hancock's    house.     Mr   Adams, 

■pointing  to  the  stone  building,  said,  '  This  town  has  done  a 
wise  thing  to-day.'  '  What  V  '  They  have  made  that  young 
man's  fortune  their  own.'  His  prophecy  was  literally  fulfil- 
led, for  no  man's  property  was  ever  more  entirely  devoted 
to  the  public.  The  town  had  that  day  chosen  Mr  Hancock 
into  the  legislature  of  the  province.' 

G.  This  event  decided  his  future  fortunes.  He  devoted 
his  wIkjIc  property  to  tlie  service  of  his  country,  and  finally 
risked  it  all  in  her  defence.  He  soon  became  an  object  of 
marked  dislike  to  the  ofhcers  of  the  English  government, 
and  they  took  every  opportunity  to  display  their  enmity. 
This,  of  course,  increased  his  popularity  with  his  fellow- 
citizens,  and  placed  him  higher  in  their  confidence. 


108  HISTORY    OP    BOSTON. 

7.  I  have  already  told  you  that  General  Gage  issued  a  pro- 
clamation, a  few  days  before  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  in 
which  he  offered  pardon  to  all  rebels,  except  John  Hancock, 
and  Samuel  Adams.  While  this  proscription  exposed  them 
to  disgrace,  in  case  of  ill  success,  it  served  to  extend  their 
fame,  and  make  them  more  widely  known  as  ardent  friends 
of  liberty. 

8.  In  1775,  Mr  Hancock  was  sent  from  Massachusetts,  as 
a  delegate  to  the  congress  at  Philadelphia.  In  the  next 
year,  he  was  chosen  president  of  that  body,  and  was  the  first 
to  sign  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  His  signature  to 
that  instrument  is  written  in  a  fine,  large,  bold  hand,  which 
seems  intended  to  remain  a  longtime.  The  pen  with  which 
it  was  made,  is  still  in  existence. 

9.  In  1779  ill  health  obliged  Mr  Hancock  to  resign  his 
seat  in  Congress.  In  the  next  year  he  was  chosen  governor 
of  his  native  State  ;  and  with  the  exception  of  two  years,  he 
held  this  ofiice  till  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1793.  Few  pub- 
lic men  have  been  more  respected  and  esteemed,  or  more 
sincerely  lamented. 

10.  If  Mr  Hancock  had  not  neglected  his  private  affairs, 
for  the  public  service,  he  might  have  made  immense  addi- 
tions to  his  wealth.  He  seemed  to  consider  that  he  held  his 
property  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  his  country.  It  was  at 
one  time  thought  necessary  to  burn  Boston,  in  order  to  force 
the  enemy  to  leave  it.  Mr  Hancock  was  consulted  about  it. 
His  answer  was  that  '  although  the  greater  part  of  his  for- 


History  of  boston.  109 

tune  consisted  of  biiikliiifijs  within  the  town,  yet,  if  its  de- 
struction would  be  useful  to  the  cause  of  tlip  country,  he 
wished  it  should  be  set  on  fire  immediately.' 

11.  Many  instances  are  related  of  his  generosity  of  dispo- 
sition. In  the  times  of  distress,  it  is  said  that  hundreds  of 
families  were  fed  by  his  bounty.  No  one  had  it  in  his  power  to 
make  greater  sacrifices  of  wealth,  and  no  one  could  have 
used  that  power  with  greater  profuseness. 

12.  Mr  Hancock  seldom  spoke  in  jjublic,  but  his  know- 
ledge of  business  and  of  mankind  rendered  him  peculiarly 
fit  for  public  life.  In  private  he  lived  with  eJegance  and 
hospitality.  He  was  a  perfect  gentleman  of  the  old  school, 
and  dressed  richly  and  fashionably.  In  many  of  these  things, 
he  differed  much  from  his  friend  and  fellow  patriot,  Samuel 
Adams ;  of  whom  I  will  now  give  you  a  short  history. 


CHAPTER  XVf. 

Samuel  Adams.  Education.  Entrance  into  piihlic  life.  Hutch- 
inson''s  opinion  of  him.  Anecdotes.  Sentto  Oongi-css.  Char- 
acter.   A  nccdote. 

1.  Samuel  Adams  was  born  in  Boston  in  the  year  1722. 
He  received  his  education  at  Harvard  College.  On  leaving 
college  he  commenced  the  study  of  divinity,  but  afterwards 
abandoned  it.  From  early  youth,  he  took  great  interest  in 
public  affairs,  and  by  his  zeal  and  vigilance,  gained  the  gen- 
eral attention  and  favor  of  the  friends  of  liberty. 

2.  In  the  year  1766  he  was  made  a  member  of  the  pro- 
vincial legislature.  Here  he  soon  became  distinguished, 
and  had  a  large  share  in  every  important  measure.  When 
his  character  was  known  in  England,  and  it  was  also  known 
there  that  he  was  poor,  the  enemies  of  the  province  thought 
he  might  be  bribed  into  silence.  They  wrote  to  Governor 
Hutchinson  on  the  subject.     He  was  too  well  acquainted 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  Ill 

with  the  character  of  the  man,  to  he  unaware  that  he  could 
not  be  bribed.  His  answer  was  that  Mr  Adams  was  so 
obstinate  and  unyielding,  that  he  could  not  be  gained  over 
by  any  office,  gift,  or  bribe,  of  any  amount. 

3.  Mr  Adams  was  one  of  tliat  class,  who  saw  very  early 
that  it  would  be  necessary  for  the  colonies  to  fight.  After 
he  had  come  to  this  conclusion,  no  one  could  have  been 
more  unwilling  to  yield  any  thing  to  the  British  government, 
in  the  hope  of  purchasing  peace. 

4.  "When  he  had  received  warning  at  Lexington,  of  the 
intended  expedition  of  the  British,  he  was  passing  through 
the  fields  wiili  some  friends,  to  escape  from  the  search  which 
he  knew  would  be  made  for  him.  As  they  were  walking 
along,  Mr  Adams  exclaimed,  '  This  is  a  fine  day  !'  '  Very 
pleasant,  indeed,'  answered  one  of  his  companions,  thinking 
that  he  referred  to  the  clearness  and  beauty  of  the  sky.         , 

5.  'I  mean,'  replied  Mr  Adams,  '  this  day  is  a  glorious 
day  for  America  !'  His  own  situation  was  at  that  time  full 
of  danger.  He  had  made  himself  particularly  obnoxious  to 
the  British  government,  and  had  notbing  to  hope  from  their 
forbearance.  But  he  lost  all  sense  of  his  own  and  his  coun- 
try's danger,  in  the  prospect  of  the  liberty,  that  was  to  fol- 
low a  successful  struggle. 

G.  About  the  year  1773,  Governor  Gage  made  an  eftbrtto 
corrupt  Mr  Adams,  bnt  without  success.  An  officer  of  the 
royal  army  called  upon  the  patriot,  and  assured  him,  that  ho 
should  receive  any  benefit  that  the  government  could  bestow, 


/  HISTORY    OP   BOSTON. 

if  he  would  desist  from  his  opposition.  At  the  same  time, 
he  intimated  that  his  previous  conduct  had  excited  the  dis- 
pleasure of  the  king,  and  might  endanger  his  personal 
safety. 

7.  To  this  proposition,  Mr  Adams  listened  in  silence.  At 
its  conclusion,  with  the  indignation  of  a  man  of  honor,  in- 
jured by  an  unworthy  offer,  he  replied  :  'go,  tell  Governor 
Gage,  that  my  peace  has  long  since  been  made  with  the 
Ring  of  Kings,  and  that  it  is  the  advice  of  Samuel  Adams 
to  him,  no  longer  to  insult  the  feelings  of  an  already  exas- 
perated people.' 

8.  In  1774,  Mr  Adams  was  sent  to  the  first  congress.  He 
was  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 
Of  this  measure  he  was  always  an  active  supporter,  and 
labored  with  all  his  unwearied  zeal  to  bring  it  forward. 
He  was  afterwards  lieutenant  governor,  and  governor,  of 
his  native  State.     He  lived  to  a  very  advanced  age. 

j^9.  In  his  religious  and  political  opinions,  Mr  Adams  was 
always  very  strict  and  rigid.  No  person  of  his  time  bore  a 
stronger  resemblance,  in  character  and  feelings,  to  one  of 
the  Plymouth  pilgrims.  Nothing  in  the  world  could  have 
induced  him,  to  relax  from  a  principle  which  he  consider- 
ed a  true  one.  The  loss  of  life  appeared  to  him  a  trifling 
matter,  compared  with  the  neglect  of  duty,  or  the  unjust 
surrender  of  a  right.  He  would  sooner  have  been  condemn- 
ed as  a  traitor,  than  have  paid  an  unlawful  tax,  whether  in 
the  shape  of  a  trifling  duty  on  tea,  or  a  sixpence  stamp. 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  113 

10.  At  a  mectinj^,  in  Boston,  Mr  Adams  related  the  fol- 
lowing fable,  which  is  a  good  specimen  of  his  style  of 
public  speaking.  '  A  Grecian  philosopher,  who  was 
lying  asleep  upon  the  grass,  was  roused  by  the  bite  of 
some  animal  upon  the  palm  of  his  hand.  He  closed  his 
hand  suddenly,  as  he  awoke,  and  found  that  he  had  caught 
a  field  mouse.  As  he  was  examining  the  little  animal  who 
dared  to  attack  him,  it  unexpectedly  bit  him  a  second  time  ; 
he  dropped  it,  and  it  made  its  escape.  Now,  fellow-citizens, 
what  think  you  was  the  reflection  he  made  upon  this  trifling 
circumstance  ?  It  was  this  :  that  there  is  no  animal,  hoAV- 
ever  weak  and  contemptible,  which  cannot  defend  its  own 
liberty,  if  it  will  only  fight  for  it.' 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Old  manners   and  customs.     Haclcney  coaches.     JFasJiioti  of 
■     dress.     3Iarriage  ciistom.      Wigs  and  poivder.      Taking  tea. 
Articles  of  apparel.     Butcher^s  sJiop.     Amusing  anecdote. 
Old  State  House.     Whipping  post.     Beacon  Hill. 

1.  My  little  friends  desire,  I  suppose,  to  Jearn  soinething 
of  the  mannei-s  and  customs  of  the  Bostonians  in  old  times. 
They  now  walk  about  the  streets,  and  see  every  where  signs 
of  wealth  and  luxury.  Rich  dresses  pass  them  on  every 
side  ;  and  they  sometimes  see  a  bonnet,  which  costs  enough 
to  have  furnished  a  whole  dress,  for  the  great-grandmother 
of  the  dashing  belle  who  wears  it. 

2.  They  see  a  great  many  private  carriages  and  hackney 
coaches.  Before  the  revolution,  there  was  only  a  single 
Hack  in  the  town.  This  was  called  the  Burling  Coach,  and 
was  first  set  up  in  1762,   by  a  royalist,  who  afterwards  left 


nisTonv  OF  boston.  115 

Boston  Avitli  the  British  troops.  Tlic  next  pubhc  Hack  first 
flourished  about  forty-tlirec  years  ago.  It  was  a  small  post- 
chaise,  drawn  by  a  couple  of  fi^rey  liorses,  and  used  to  stand 
for  customers  at  the  head  of  State  street. 

3.  Eiglity  years  ago,  red  cloaks,  wigs  and  cocked  hats, 
were  the  usual  dress  of  gentlemen.  Few  wore  boots,  except 
military  men.  Buckles  were  the  only  slioe  fastenings  :  strings 
were  worn  only  by  those  who  could  get  nothing  else.  In 
winter,  round  coats  were  in  fashion,  made  stiff  with  buck- 
ram, and  in  front  reaching  to  the  knees.  Before  the  revo- 
lution, boys  were  dressed  with  wigs  and  cocked  hats.  Think 
what  a  figure  any  little  boy  of  your  acquaintance  would 
make  in  such  a  costume!  But  in  the  dress  of  our  time,  he 
would  have  looked  just  as  queerly  to  a  boy  of  1770. 

4.  It  was  formerly  usual  for  the  bride  and  bridegroom, 
with  the  bride-maids  and  groomsmen  attending,  to  go  to 
church  together^or  three  successive  Sundays,  after  the  wed- 
ding, with  a  change  of  dress  each  day.  Tlie  bridegroom, 
for  instance,  would  appear  on  the  first  Sunclay  in  white 
broadcloth,  the  second  in  blue  and  gold,  the  third  in  peach- 
bloom  and  pearl  buttons. 

5.  Till  witiiin  thirty-five  years,  gentlemen  wore  powder. 
Many  of  them  were  in  the  habit  of  sitting  half  an  iiour  or 
more,  every  day,  in  the  barber's  chair,  to  have  their  hair 
craped  ;  suffering  torture  from  the  hot  curling-tongs,  and 
the  aw  kward  pulling  of  the  barber.  When  there  was  a  great 
party,  and  they  could  not  engage  a  barber  on  the  same  day, 


116  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

ladies  were  sometimes  dressed  the  day  before,  and  slept  in  easy 
chairs,  to  keep  their  hair  from  being  tumbled.  It  was  then 
the  fashion,  for  ladies  to  send  word  to  their  friends  that  they 
would  visit  them  ;  it  was  not  the  custom  to  wait  to  be  in- 
vited. They  went  to  take  tea  about  four  o'clock,  and  in 
summer  never  staid  after  candle  light. 

6.  Half-boots  were  first  worn  in  Boston  about  forty  years 
ago,  having  been  introduced  by  a  gentleman  from  the  South. 
About  thirty  years  since  gentlemen  wore  scarlet  coats,  with 
black  velvet  collars,  and  very  expensive  buttons,  made  of 
mock  pearl,  cut  steel,  or  painted  glass.  About  their  wrists 
they  wore  lace  ruffles,  and  their  neck  cloths  were  edged 
with  lace.  Flannel  was  first  used  here  next  to  the  skin,  by 
Lord  Percy's  regiment,  which  had  its  encampment  on  the 
common  in  the  autumn  of  1774.  In  the  whole  town,  at  that 
time,  there  was  hardly  flannel  enough  to  be  bought  for  this 
single  regiment. 

7.  In  another  part  of  the  book  you  will  read  of  the  mag- 
nificent stone  Market,  which  now  forms  one  of  the  first  or- 
naments of  the  city.  A  hundred  years  ago,  there  was  no 
large  meat-market  in  the  town  ;  but  there  were  four  shops 
in  which  meat  was  sold.  One  of  them  was  near  the  corner 
of  State  street.  When  a  person  wished  for  a  piece  of  meat, 
he  was  obliged  to  give  a  day's  notice  before  hand,  and  put 
his  name  down  for  what  he  wanted. 

8.  Outside  of  the  meat  shop  in  State  street  was  a  large 
hook,  on  which  carcasses  used  to  be  hung.     A  little  man, 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  117 

who  was  a  justice  of  the  peace,  came  one  day  for  some  meat, 
hut  was  civilly  told  tliat  all  of  it  had  been  engaged.  Sever- 
al nice  large  pieces  were  lying  about,  and  the  good  justice 
was  inquisitive  as  to  the  purchasers.  One  piece  that  he 
coveted  very  much,  had  hccn  bought  by  a  tradesman  ;  and 
the  testy  justice  said  that  he  would  '  send  the  fellow  a  salad 
for  his  lamb.' 

9.  The  meat  buyer  happened  to  be  in  debt  to  the  town 
for  his  last  tax-bill,  and  the  man  of  law  sent  to  him  for  its 
immediate  payment.  This  vexed  the  meat  buyer  exceed- 
ingly, and  he  determined  to  be  revenged.  A  few  days  after- 
wards they  met  accidentally,  in  the  same  shop.  The  trades- 
man turned  tO'  the  justice,  and  told  him  he  was  'hai)pyof  an 
opportunity  to  return  his  kindness  ;'  which  he  did  by  seiz- 
ing him,  and  suspending  him  by  the  waistband  of  his  breech- 
es, to  the  butcher's  hook.  Here  he  hung  till  some  of  the 
bystanders  took  pity  on  him,  and  assisted  him  down. 

10.  The  Old  State  House  was  anciently  the  Exchange. 
The  lower  floor,  where  the  Post  Office  and  Reading  Room 
now  are,  was  formerly  an  o])en  space,  with  the  exception  of 
two  small  apartments,  used  as  offices  of  the  clerks  of  the 
court.  There  was  a  range  of  pillars  to  support  the  floor 
above.  The  House  of  Representatives  occupied  the  centre. 
The  cast  end  was  occupied  by  the  Senate  ;  from  thence  a 
large  flight  of  steps  descended  into  State  street,  and  over 
these  was  the  balcony,  from  which  the  sherift'  used  to  pro- 
claim the  governor.     At  the  west  end  was  a  stairway,   an 


118  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

entry  and  a  lobby.  Tbe  lower  floor  of  tbe  State  House  was 
a  convenient  place  of  assembling  on  election  days,  and  min- 
isters from  tbe  country,  and  other  strangers,  used  to  meet 
there  and  interchange  their  civilities. 

11.  A  little  below  the  State  House,  nearly  opposite  the 
corner  of  Devonshire  street,  stood  the  Avhipping  post,  at 
which  offenders  used  to  be  publicly  beaten.  An  immense 
cage  on  wheels  was  afterwards  used.  Culprits  were  caged 
in  the  jail  yard,  which  was  on  the  spot  where  the  new 
stone  Court  House  is  building,  and  were  drawn  into  State 
street.  Here  they  were  brought  out,  one  by  one,  and  whip- 
ped on  the  top  of  the  cage.  The  upper  part  was  also  a  pil- 
lory. This  barbarous  custom  of  public  whipping  has  been 
abolished  only  about  thirty-tliree  years. 

12-  Beacon  Hill  received  its  name  from  a  beacon,  which 
was  formerly  erected  on  its  summit.  It  was  about  seventy 
feet  high.  Sixty-five  feet  from  the  ground,  an  iron  was  fix- 
ed about  five  feet  in  length,  at  the  extremity  of  which  was 
an  iron  frame-work,  fitted  to  receive  a  half  barrel  filled  with 
combustibles. 

13.  This  beacon  is  said  to  have  been  raised  about  the 
year  1746,  when  an  attack  was  expected  from  the  French  ; 
and  when  about  eleven  thousand  troops  are  said  to  have  been 
collected  in  Boston.  In  1789  the  beacon  was  blown  down, 
and  a  brick  circular  pillar  erected  in  its  place,  on  a  square 
stone  foundation,  whose  sides  were  ornamented  with  letter- 
ed slates,  which  are  still  preserved  in  the  new  State  House. 
This  pillar  was  removed  some  years  since. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

lV(ir  of  1814  icith  England.  Chesapeake  lying  in  Boston 
harbor.  Battle  with  the  Shannon.  Death  of  Lawrence. 
Refections. 

1.  But  few  events  have  occurred,  in  the  history  of  Boston, 
since  the  period  of  the  revolution,  which  would  interest  you 
much  in  the  recital.  During  the  second  war  of  the  United 
States  with  England,  which  was  declared  in  181'2,  our  city 
did  not  directly  sutler  from  the  attacks  of  the  enemy.  One 
melancholy  incident  of  that  war,  however,  is  so  connected 
with  our  city,  that  I  will  relate  it  to  you  in  this  place. 

2.  On  the  first  of  June,  1813,  a  nohle  frigate  of  the  Ame- 
rican navy  was  lying  at  anchor  in  Boston  harbor.  She  was 
named  the  Chesapeake,  and  was  under  the  command  of 
Captain  Lawrence,  as  valiant  a  sailor  as  ever  walked  on  a 
deck.     In  the  preceding  month  of  February,  he  had  cap- 


120  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

tured    the   British   brig  Peacock,  after   an   action  of  only 
fifteen  minutes. 

3.  A  British  frigate,  the  Shannon,  had  been  some  days 
cruising  about  in  the  neighborhood,  and  its  captain  had 
sent  in  several  challenges  to  Captain  Lawrence,  to  bring  the 
two  ships  to  an  engagement.  The  Chesapeake  w'as  badly 
provided  with  men,  and  not  in  a  fit  condition  for  the  conflict, 
but  the  bravado  of  the  enemy  was  too  exciting  for  the  spirit 
of  our  gallant  seamen. 

4.  On  the  morning  mentioned  above,  the  Shannon  ap- 
peared off  our  harbor,  and  made  a  taunting  display  of  the 
British  flag.  The  Chesapeake  was  lying  below  Fort  Inde- 
pendence. On  observing  the  enemy's  colors,  a  gun  was 
fired  from  the  American  ship,  and  the  banner  of  stars  and 
stripes  was  soon  floating  at  her  mast-head.  Sailing  orders 
were  immediately  given,  and  as  soon  as  the  tide  permitted, 
the  Chesapeake  was  got  under  way,  and,  under  a  full  press 
of  sail,  followed  the  Shannon  out  of  the  harbor. 

5.  Every  eminence  in  the  neighborhood  of  Boston,  which 
commanded  a  view  of  the  sea,  was  soon  crowded  with  anx- 
ious spectators.  The  ships  took  such  a  direction,  that  the 
battle  could  not  be  observed  from  the  shore  ;  but  many 
boats  and  small  craft  sailed  out  to  witness  the  conflict,  and 
bring  back  information  as  to  its  issue. 

6.  Our  citizens  soon  knew  that  the  Chesapeake  was  cap- 
tured, and  that  British  colors  had  taken  the   place  of  the 


HISTORY    OF    DOSTON.  121 

Union  flag ;  but  it  was  not  till  a  fortnight  afterwards  that 
they  learned  the  full  extent  of  their  loss.  The  Sliannon 
with  her  prize,  immediately  sailed  for  Halifax,  and  it  was 
hence  that  the  first  authentic  account  of  the  battle  was  re- 
ceived. 

7.  The  Chesapeake  fired  the  first  gun,  and  the  Shannon 
immediately  hove  to,  and  prepared  for  action.  During  the 
first  few  minutes  of  the  battle,  the  enemy  sustained  most 
severe  injury,  but  unfortunately  the  vessels  came  in  direct 
contact,  and  became  so  entangled,  that  the  Chesapeake 
could  not  bring  her  guns  to  bear.  She  was  immediately 
boarded  by  the  enemy,  and,  in  the  confusion  and  alarm 
that  followed  the  loss  of  her  chief  officer,  was  easily  cap- 
tured. 

8.  Captain  Lawrence  had  been  wounded  in  his  leg,  at  an 
early  period  of  the  engagement.  Refusing  to  be  carried 
below,  he  remained  upon  deck  till  he  received  a  second 
wound,  that  completely  disabled  him.  He  was  now  borne 
to  the  cock-pit,  from  which,  though  in  the  severest  pain,  he 
continued  to  issue  his  orders.  '  Fight  her  till  she  sinks,' 
he  exclaimed,  '  keep  the  guns  going.  The  Shannon  was 
beaten  when  I  left.' 

9.  When  told  that  the  enemy  had  carried  the  upper  deck, 
he  sent  to  his  crew  the  memorable  message,  —  'Don't  give 
up  the  ship  !'  But  it  was  in  vain  ;  the  ship  was  lost,  and 
Lawrence  did  not  long  survive  the  misfortune ;  after  linger- 

9 


122  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

ing  in  extreme  pain  for  the  s])ace  of  four  days,  he  died. 
He  was  honorably  buried  at  Halifax,  but  his  body  was  after- 
wards removed  to  New  York,  where  a  monument  has  been 
erected  to  him.  His  memory  will  ever  be  held  dear  by 
Americans,  for  he  was  gallant,  and  true  to  his  country. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Visit  of  Lafaijfttc.  His  carhj  Adventures.  His  arrival  at 
Boston  in  1824.  His  Welcome.  Great  Parade.  The 
Schools  make  a  procession.  Laying  the  Corner  stone  of 
Bunker  Hill  Monument.  Visits  of  the  Presidents.  Re- 
flections. 

1.  I  HAVE  said  before,  that  since  the  revolution,  few  inci- 
dents, whicli  woiihl  be  of  <>reat  interest  to  you,  iiave  occur- 
red in  our  liistory.  It  is  not  then  surprising,  that  one  of  the 
most  striking  events  of  our  more  recent  annals  should  also 
be  connected  with  that  great  event.  I  refer  to  the  visit  of 
Lafayette  to  Boston  in  lS-24,  of  which  you  may  like  to  hear 
a  short  account. 

2.  Lafayette,  you  already  know,  was  born  in  a  village  of 
France,  in  1757.  When  about  nineteen  years  of  age,  he 
secretly  h.-ft  his  native  land,  to  engage  in  the  cause  of  Ame- 
rican  liberty.     Our   country  was  at  that  time  in   a  very  un- 


124  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

fortunate  and  gloomy  condition,  and  his  arrival  created  great 
joy  among  the  feeble  and  almost  despairing  patriots. 

3.  The  young  foreigner  was  at  once  appointed  to  a  com- 
mand in  the  Continental  army.  This  lie  declined,  and 
having  raised,  and  equipped  a  body  of  men  at  his  o,vn  ex- 
pense, he  entered  the  service  as  a  volunteer,  with  jut  pay. 
He  rendered  very  important  aid  to  the  cause,  by  his  per- 
sonal exertions  and  valor  here,  and  his  influence  at  home. 
For  a  long  time,  he  lived  in  the  family  of  Washington,  and 
was  always  honored  with  his  full  affection  and  confidence. 

4.  He  returned  to  France,  soon  after  the  close  of  the  re- 
volution, and  has  carried  with  him  through  life,  his  early 
love  of  liberty.  Several  invitations  had  been  given  to  him, 
to  visit  once  more  the  country  of  his  early  exploits.  At 
length,  he  consented.  In  August  1824,  he  landed  at  New 
York,  and  was  received  there  with  the  shouts  of  thousands, 
who  crowded  to  greet  and  welcome  the  old  friend  of  their 
fathers. 

5.  In  a  few  days,  he  reached  the  residence  of  Governor 
Eustis,  his  old  companion  in  arms,  at  Roxbury,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Boston.  Every  where,  in  the  country 
through  which  he  passed,  he  was  received  with  the  greatest 
delight  and  enthusiasm. 

6.  On  the  morning  after  his  arrival  at  Roxbury,  a  caval- 
cade of  eight  hundred  citizens  of  Boston,  waited  on  him,  to 
form  an  escort  to  the  town  line.  Here  he  was  met .  by  the 
mayor,  and  other  city  officers,  and  a  military  escort.     On 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  125 

receiving   from   the  mayor  a  welcome,  in   the  name   of  the 
city,  Lafayette  made  the  foMowiiig  brief,  but  apt  reply  : 

7.  '  The  emotions  of  love  and  gratitude,  which  I  have 
been  accustomed  to  feel  on  entering  this  city,  have  ever 
mingled  with  a  sense  of  religious  reverence,  for  the  cradle 
of  American,  and,  let  us  hope  it  will  be  hereafter  said,  of 
universal  liberty. 

8.  '  What  must  be,  sir,  iny  feelings  at  the  blessed  moment, 
when,  after  so  long  an  absence,  I  feel  myself  again  sur- 
rounded by  the  good  citizens  of  Boston,  where  I  am  so  af- 
fectionately, so  honorably  welcomed,  not  only  by  old  friends, 
but  by  several  successive  generations ;  where  I  can  witness 
the  prosperity,  the  immense  improvements,  that  have  been 
the  just  reward  of  a  noble  struggle,  virtuous  morals,  and 
truly  republican  institutions. 

9.  '  I  beg  of  you,  Mr  Mayor,  gentlemen  of  the  City  Coun- 
cil, and  all  of  you,  beloved  citizens  of  Boston,  to  accept  the 
respectful  and  warm  thanks  of  a  heart,  which  has  for  nearly 
half  a  century  been  devoted  to  your  Ilhtstrious  City.'' 

10.  The  procession  then  formed,  and  began  to  advance 
towards  the  city,  at  about  11  o'clock.  It  passed  through  all 
the  principal  streets,  and  during  its  progress,  Lafayette  was 
continually  received  with  the  cheers  and  shouts  of  the  mul- 
titude. Tiie  windows  of  all  the  houses  were  crowded  with 
spectators,  waving  handkerchiefs,  and  throwing  .garlands 
into  his  barouche  as  he  passed. 

11.  On  this  occasion,  a  truly  beautiful  sight  was  present- 


120 


HISTORY    OP    BOSTON. 


ed.  The  children  of  the  pubhc  schools,  dressed  in  a  neat 
uniform,  were  ranged  in  two  rows,  by  the  lower  part  of  the 
common,  under  the  direction  of  their  teachers.  As  the  pro- 
cession passed  through  the  lines  formed  by  these  boys  and 
girls,  they  raised  their  little  voices  to  add  one  more  shout  of 
welcome,  to  the  thousands  that  had  greeted  the  friend  of 
Washington. 

12.  During  the  stay  of  General  Lafayette  in  the  city,  the 
excitement  of  the  people  seemed  constantly  to  increase. 
Every  mark  of  respect  and  affection  was  paid  to  him,  both 
in  private  and  public.  When  he  left  Boston,  he  expressed 
his  intention  to  return  by  the  seventeenth  of  the  following 
June,  to  be  present  at  the  laying  of  the  Corner  Stone  of  the 
Bunker  Hill  Monument. 

13.  On  that  day,  he  was  again  in  Boston,  The  weather 
was  mild  and  pleasant,  and  large  numbers  of  people  had 
collected,  from  all  quarters,  to  witness  the  ceremony.  At 
about  half  past  ten  in  the  morning,  a  procession  was  formed 
near  the  State  House,  to  escort  the  General  to  the  former 
scene  of  the  revolutionary  battle. 

14.  An  immense  crowd  of  people  was  collected.  Old 
men,  and  boys,  seemed  equally  excited  by  the  occasion,  and 
thronged  in  vast  numbers  to  engage  in  the  services  of  the 
day.  First  marched  the  military  escort,  which  consisted  of 
sixteen  companies,  and  a  corps  of  cavalry,  in  full  uniform. 
Then  came  the  aged  soldiers,  who  had  fought  fifty  years 
before  in  the  battle,  and  who  had  been  so  fortunate  as  to 
live  to  witness  this  scene  of  triumph. 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  127 

15.  After  these,  followed  the  other  surviving  soldiers  and 
officers  of  the  revolution.  Then  came  the  niemhers  of  the 
Association  formed  to  build  the  monument,  all  wearing  suit- 
able badges.  The  various  companies  of  Free  Masons,  and 
the  officers  of  the  Association  followed.  General  Lafayette, 
in  a  coach  and  four,  came  next,  and  the  procession  was 
closed  by  the  various  officers  of  state,  and  a  large  body  of 
citizens. 

IG.  This  procession  moved  from  the  State  House,  passed 
through  some  of  the  principal  streets  of  the  city,  and  then 
to  Bunker  Hill.  The  corner  stone  of  the  Monument  was 
then  laid,  an  oration  was  delivered,  and  the  day  closed  with 
festivity  and  rejoicing, 

17.  Boston  has  been  twice  visited  by  presidents  of  the 
United  States ;  by  James  Monroe,  in  1817,  and  by  Andrew 
Jackson,  in  IKJ:}.  On  each  of  these  occasions,  there  was, 
perhaps,  a  greater  display  of  splendor  and  pageantry,  than 
is  consistent  with  republican  simplicity. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Reflections.  Bridges  and  avenues  to  the  city.  Vieio  from  the 
sea.  Approach  of  a  stranger.  His  reflections.  The  har- 
bor. Old  times.  Fancuil  Hall  Market.  Faneuil  Hall. 
May-Fair.     Institution  for  the  Blind. 

1.  I  HAVE  now  told  you  many  stories  about  Boston.  You 
have  followed  its  progress  from  a  desert  solitude,  trodden  only 
by  the  Indian  hunter,  to  a  large,  populous  and  commercial  city, 
full  of  fine  dwelling  houses,  churches  and  public  buildings, 
and  inhabited  by  a  wealthy  and  refined  people.  You  shall 
now  hear  something  of  Boston  as  it  is. 

2.  I  have  already  told  you  that  Boston  is  situated  on  a 
peninsula,  almost  entirely  surrounded  by  water,  and  con- 
nected with  the  main  land  only  by  a  narrow  avenue  called 
the  neck.     This  was  formerly  the  only  way  of  entering  or 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 


129 


leaving  tlie   town,  except  in  boats    or  large  vessels.     But 
there  are  now  no  less  than  nine  avenues. 

3.  There  are  four  bridges  built  over  the  river  Charles, 
which  connect  the  city  with  Cambridge  and  Charlestown. 
There  are  two  bridges  leading  to  South  Boston,  where  are 
the  forts  erected  during  the  revolution,  and  rebuilt  during 
the  last  war.  A  fine  dam,  called  the  western  avenue,  leads 
from  Beacon  street  to  a  point  in  Brookline  ;  and  three  rail- 
roads to  different  points  in  the  country,  will  soon  be  com- 
pleted. There  is  also  an  extensive  ferry  between  the  city 
and  Chelsea,  with  steam-boats  for  the  accommodation  of 
wagons  and  carriages,  as  well  as  foot  passengers. 

4.  Every  avenue  to  the  city  presents  a  beautiful  view. 
"When  approached  from  the  sea,  it  is  exceedingly  picturesque 
and  striking.  The  ship,  sailing  among  a  hundred  green  or 
rocky  islands,  and  passing  between  the  two  forts  that  com- 
mand the  entrance  of  the  harbor,  is  borne  onwards  to  the 
noble  city  before  it. 

5.  A  stranger  is  first  struck  by  tlie  high  parts  of  the 
city,  where  his  eye  rests  upon  the  conspicuous  dome  of  the 
State  House,  and  the  many  spires  rising  from  the  various 
quarters.  On  nearer  approach,  he  examines  with  much 
pleasure  and  perhaps  astonishment,  the  noble  wharves,  with 
their  massive  blocks  of  brick  and  granite  ware-houses  and 
stores,  and  the  many  ships  crowding  them  with  their  unladen 
treasures. 

6.  On  landing,  he  stops  a  moment  to  gaze  behind  him, 


130  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

on  the  magnificent  prospect  he  is  about  to  leave  ;  that  of 
the  spacious  harbor,  Avhitened  with  the  sails  of  so  many 
ships,  and  dotted  with  so  many  little  islands.  Well,  indeed, 
may  he  linger  and  gaze,  for  seldom  may  his  eye  I'est  on  so 
beautiful  a  scene  ! 

7.  If  he  know  any  thing  of  the  history  of  our  country,  he 
remembers  that  he  has  reached  a  part  of  it  rich  in  patriotic 
adventures.  He  thinks  of  the  tea  story,  and  looks  round  to 
see  if  he  can  find  any  little  stone  or  monument  to  mark  the 
spot  where  this  famous  event  took  place.  He  lifts  his  eyes 
to  the  green  hills  across  the  bay,  and  remembers  that  Howe 
gazed  upon  them  with  more  surprise,  when  he  saw  them 
covered  with  the  ramparts  which  the  soldiers  of  Washing- 
ton had  raised  in  a  night, 

8.  His  eye  again  turns  to  the  blue  waters  of  the  bay,  and 
he  pictures  to  himself  the  time  when  they  were  covered  with 
the  departing  ships  of  the  British,  sullenly  yielding  to  the 
fate  of  war,  and  abandoning  their  stronghold  to  the  Yankee 
general  and  his  farmer-soldiers.  Or,  he  is  carried  still  far- 
ther back,  to  the  day  when  the  pestilence  had  destroyed  the 
original  owners  of  the  soil,  and  solitude  and  silence  hung 
over  the  places  now  so  busy  with  the  hum  and  bustle  of 
ci'owded  life  ! 

9.  But  I  must  leave  these  reflections  and  take  the  stranger 
about  the  city,  to  show  him  the  chief  buildings,  and  the  gen- 
eral beauties  of  the  place.  We  will  first  take  him  to  the 
new  market-house,  and  Faneuil  Hall,  as  they  happen  to  be 
nearest  the  water,  and  will  be  more  in  our  way. 


HISTORY    OP    nOSTO.V.  131 

10.  First  examine  tlie  Faneuil  Hall  market.  This  is  pro- 
bably the  most  splendid  edifice  raised  for  such  a  purpose,  in 
the  world.  It  is  built  wholly  of  fine  granite.  Its  length  is 
five  hundred  and  thirty-five  feet,  and  its  width  fifty  feet.  At 
each  end  is  a  noble  portico,  supported  by  four  columns 
about  twenty  feet  high,  and  three  and  a  half  feet  in  diame- 
ter. From  the  centre  of  the  buildinfif,  rises  a  spacious  dome, 
springing  from  four  ornamented  arches. 

11.  The  corner  stone  of  this  immense  edifice  was  laid  on 
the  twenty-seventh  of  April  1825,  while  Josiah  Quincy,son 
of  the  revolutionary  patriot,  was  mayor  of  the  city.  It  was 
completed  in  little  more  than  two  years,  and  will  remain 
for  many  ages,  as  a  monument  of  the  enterprise,  skill,  and 
wealth  of  our  citizens  at  the  time. 

12.  To  the  west  of  this  building  stands  Faneuil  Hall, 
which  has  been  called  the  Cradle  of  American  Liberty,  and 
is  very  famous  throughout  the  country.  It  was  the  place 
where  Josiah  Quincy,  Jr,  James  Otis,  and  Samuel  Adams 
used  to  address  the  people  during  the  troubled  period  which 
preceded  and  accompanied  the  revolution.  The  original  edi- 
fice was  built  nearly  a  hundred  years  ago,  by  Petey  Faneuil, 
Esq.,  and  was  presented  by  him  to  the  town.  A  picture  of 
the  generous  donor,  forms  one  of  the  chief  ornaments  of 
the  hall. 

13.  The  building  has  a  cupola,  from  which  is  a  fine  view 
of  the  harbor.  The  great  hall  is  7G  feet  b^quurc,  and  28 
feet  high,  with  galleries  on  three  sides,  supported  by  plain 


132  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

columns.  Rang^  ^s  of  ornamented  columns  support  the 
ceiling,  and  the  walls  are  decorated  by  pilasters.  A  bust  of 
John  Adams,  the  second  President  of  the  United  States,  is 
placed  at  one  end  of  the  hall,  between  the  picture  of  Mr 
Faneuil,  and  a  splendid  full  length  painting  of  Washington, 
by  the  celebrated  artist,  Stuart. 

14.  Faneuil  Hall  is  sacred  not  alone  for  its  patriotic  re- 
collections. It  is  connected  with  the  history  of  one  of  our 
benevolent  institutions,  in  the  most  interesting  manner.  All 
of  my  readers  who  live  in  Boston,  remember  the  May  Fair, 
that  was  held  for  the  benefit  of  the  Institution  for  the  Blind, 
in  1833. 

15.  The  ladies  of  the  city  decorated  the  old  hall  so  mag- 
nificently, that  it  looked  like  a  fairy  palace.  Bowers  of 
evergreen,  and  roses,  hanging  curtains,  garlands  and  fes- 
toons, gleamed  on  every  side,  with  a  show  of  richness  and 
beauty,  that  could  with  difficulty  be  surpassed. 

16.  About  the  hall,  and  in  its  centre,  tables  were  placed, 
loaded  with  beautiful  trinkets,  and  fancy  articles  of  many 
descriptions,  wrought  by  the  ladies,  who  were  then  exhibiting 
them  for  sale.  For  three  days  and  evenings,  the  hall  was 
crowded  with  generous  purchasers.  Several  of  the  little 
blind  boys,  for  whose  benefit  the  Fair  was  held,  were 
present  at  the  tables,  and  seemed  to  be  very  cheerful  and 
happy. 

17.  A  band  of  music  played  during  the  evenings  of  the  sec- 
ond and  third  days,  and  added  highly  to  the  pleasure  of  the 


^"^-■•f-HHi. 


Faneuil  Hall. 


niSTOHY    OF    BOSTON.  136 

occasion.  Every  thing  -went  off  joyfully,  and  about  thir- 
teen thousaiul  dollars  were  recrived,  to  be  applied  to  the 
establislinu'iit  of  the  Institution  for  the  Blind. 

18.  It  is  not  a  great  distance  from  Faneuil  Hall,  to  the 
street  in  which  the  Institution  for  the  Blind  is  situated.  If 
you  please,  we  will  walk  round,  and  show  it  to  the  stranger. 
It  is  a  spacious  brick  edifice,  presented  to  the  Institution, 
by  Colonel  Perkins,  an  opulent  merchant,  whose  generosity 
is  equal  to  his  wealth.  Between  thirty  and  forty  blind  chil- 
dren are  educated  here.  They  arc  occupied  with  a  variety 
of  employments,  and  are  all  industrious,  cheerful,  and  con- 
tented. 

19.  Some  learn  to  play  on  the  pianoforte,  and  all  culti- 
vate a  taste  for  singing.  One  of  the  most  affecting  concerts 
to  which  I  have  ever  listened,  has  been  that  of  a  choir  of 
these  blind  children,  pouring  forth  some  glad  melody,  with 
as  much  glee  and  joyousness,  as  if  they  had  never  known 
what  it  was  to  be  unhappy.  But  music  is  only  their 
amusement.  By  means  of  raised  letters,  they  arc  taught 
to  read,  and  there  is  an  ingenious  contrivance,  by  which 
they  can  learn  to  write,  and  to  understand  letters  that  are 
written  to  them.  They  also  learn  Geography  very  perfect- 
ly, and  are  thus  enabled  to  acquire  a  great  deal  of  know- 
ledge, that  furnishes  them  with  employment,  and  subjects  of 
reflection,  in  years  that  might  otherwise  be  to  them  almost 
a  blank. 

20.  There  are  many  useful  lessons  that  we  may  derive 


136  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

from  visiting  such  an  Institution  as  this.  We  learn  to  be 
grateful  for  the  blessings  that  we  enjoy,  and  to  thank  the 
Being  who  made  us,  that  we  have  eyes  to  see  the  wonders 
and  the  beauties  of  the  universe.  We  learn  to  estimate  as 
we  ought,  the  power  and  skill  of  man,  which  thus  enable 
him  to  supply  the  deficiencies  of  nature,  and  almost  to  give 
sight  to  the  blind.  We  learn  to  have  more  confidence  in 
the  goodness  and  virtue  of  men,  when  we  see  them  drawing* 
something  from  their  own  possessions,  to  relieve  the  wants,' 
and  console  the  misfortunes  of  those  who  have  been  less 
blessed  than  themselves ! 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

.North  End.     Common.     State  House.      View  from  its   Dome. 
Trcmont  House.      Theatre.     Churches. 

1.  In  walkinj^  about  the  city,  wc  shall  find  that  the  streets 
in  the  north  part  are  narrow  and  irregular.  This  quarter 
was  settled  at  a  very  early  period,  and  the  houses  are  most- 
ly small  and  old.  You  will  notice  here,  houses  that  have 
been  standing  more  than  a  century,  with  all  the  odd  fash- 
ions of  architecture  common  in  our  old  times.  It  is  very 
interesting  to  walk  among  these  ancient  relics,  and  imagine 
the  many  scenes  that  have  taken  place  among  them. 

2.  In  the  west  part  of  tlie  town  are  a  number  of  very 
beautiful  bouses.  Around  the  common,  are  many  splendid 
mansions,  and  the  noble  trees  of  the  open  green  before 
them,  make  them  very  pleasant  residences. 

3.  The  Common,  which  i.-:  so  great  an  ornament  to  the 
city,  was  formerly  a  public  cow  pasture,  for  the  conveni- 
ence of  the  honest   housekeepers  of  the  town.     It  occupies 

10 


138  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

a  space  of  fifty  acres  on  the  southern  slope  of  Beacon  Hill, 
and  is  surrounded  by  a  mall,  planted  with  noble  elms.  It 
is  now  a  famous  promenade,  and  on  pleasant  evenings  in 
summer,  you  find  hundreds  walking  here,  to  enjoy  the  pleas- 
ant and  cool  breezes. 

4.  On  days  of  public  celebrations,  it  is  the  ground  where 
the  troops  exercise  and  parade  ;  and  sometimes  many  fine 
companies  are  reviewed  here.  On  these  occasions,  tents 
are  erected,  in  which  refreshments  are  sold,  and  various 
shows  are  sometimes  exhibited. 

5.  The   surface  of  the  Common  is  varied  by  slight  eleva- ' 
tions,  the   largest   of  which  is  near  the  centre,  and  still  ex- 
hibits the  remains  of  a  fortification  thrown  up  by  the  British      ^ 
troops  in   1775.     Just  to  the  north  of  this   is  a  little    sheet -' '^^'^ 
of  water,  dignified   with  the  name  of  Crescent   Pond,   that    •   ■->' 
adds   something  to  the  general  beauty  of  the   scene,     l^h^  ^.i,. 
Common  is  shaded  by  nearly  six  hundred  trees,  and'-affof  ds*  '^■'' 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  walks  in  tjie' world.  >  -       'iw   -■    *.    .-H 

6.  Over-looking  this  beautiful  green,- is  the  State  Housed  ^  ,*•. 
which  stands  at  the  top  of  the  mall,  and  of  which  you,^fill  i 
find  a  neat  cut  on  the  title  page.  The  corner  stone. ^(Jj^l^iis  ^  ' 
edifice  was  laid  on  the  fourth  of  July,  179|^  Thls?;<ak.ent  \ 
was  attended  with  great  parade.  The  stone^w^^bjMpmjto  ,  i- 
the  spot  by  fifteen  white  horses,  and  lairf  bjf  thp^j^PW^rors,'  't^* 
with  the  assistance  of  some  officers  of  the "IVW^^c^'Iodge.  -'^ 
This  building  is  one  hundred  and  thirteen  feeTiri  front,  and  v» 
sixty-one  feet  deep.     It  is  surmounted  by  a  dome,  fifty  feet'  - 


*J 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 


139 


ill  diameter,  and  thirty  feet  high.  It  stands  in  a  most  ele- 
vated and  conunanding  situation.  On  the  lower  floor  there 
is  a  fine  statue  of  Washington. 

7.  The  top  of  the  dome  is  about  two  hundred  and  thirty 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  view  from  this  place  is 
very  striking.  Just  below  you  see  the  Common,  with  its 
beautiful  green,  the  fine  rows  of  surrounding  trees,  and  the 
noble  elm,  which  has  spread  its  broad  branches  for  a  century 
over  children  sporting  beneath.  On  every  side,  you  see 
large  and  noble  buildings,  and  all  the  signs  of  a  busy  and 
wealthy  population.  To  the  East  lies  the  harbor  with  its 
many  islands,  and  the  broad  waters  beyond,  spangled  with 
the  white  sails  of  our  ships. 


'  • ';::.*:^'* 


I  ^.Ht.  Trcmont  House. 

*      -'  8.  As  we  leave  the  Common  and  come  down  nearer  to  the 
business  part  of  the  city,  wc  pass  the  Tremont  House,  Tre- 


140  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

mont  Theatre,  and  the  Stone  Chapel  ;  all  very  handsome 
edifices.  The  Tremont  House  is  a  spacious  and  splendid 
hotel,  which  is  no  where  surpassed  in  the  elegance  of  its 
structure,  and  the  general  style  and  convenience  of  its  ac- 
commodations. Its  front  is  of  Quiny  granite,  ornamented 
with  a  fine  portico ;  the  sides  are  brick,  with  t!ie  basement 
story  of  stone.  Tliere  are  one  hundred  and  eighty  apart- 
ments in  the  whole  building.  The  corner  stone  of  this  edi- 
fice was  laid  in  1838,  and  it  was  open  for  the  reception  of 
guests  in  the  following  year.  The  Tremont  Theatre  is  sit- 
uated in  front  of  the  house  just  described.  It  is  a  spacious 
edifice,  with  a  front  of  Quincy  granite. 

9.  The  Stone  Chapel  is  a  very  plain  building,  being  en- 
tirely composed  of  unhewed  stone.  Its  style  of  architecture 
is  massive  and  grand.  It  is  surmounted  by  a  tower,  orna- 
mented by  a  colonade  of  large  wooden  pillars.  In  the  in- 
terior, there  are  several  marble  monuments,  raised  to  the 
memory  of  distinguished  persons,  and  which  add  to  the  in- 
terest with  which  the  church  is  visited.  It  is  now  the  only 
house  in  which  the  old  fashion  of  square  pews  is  retained. 

10.  Park  street  church  is  but  a  few  rods  distant  from  the 
Chapel,  being  situated  at  the  head  of  the  mall.  Its  steeple 
is  of  immense  height,  the  vane  on  its  top  being  two  hundred 
and  eighteen  feet  from  the  street ;  this  is  about  ten  feet 
higher  than  the  top  of  the  State  House.  Connected  with 
this  church  is  the  Granary  burying  ground,  which  received 
its  name  from  the  fact  that  a  public  granary  once  stood  with- 


HISTORY    OF    HOSTON.  141 

in  its  inclosiire.  In  tliis  fjiniiiid  is  a  granite  monument,  in 
the  ohclisk  form,  placed  over  tlie  remains  of  tlie  parents  of 
Franklin.  It  was  erected  in  1827  by  a  few  citizens  of  Bos- 
ton, w  Iio  desired  to  testify  their  respect  to  tlie  great  man 
whose  parents  reposed  beneath.  Here  are  the  tombs  of 
many,  who  are  distinguished  in  the  history  of  our  city. 

11.  The  Old  South,  situated  near  the  heart  of  the  city,  is 
an  object  of  great  interest  from  its  historical  associations. 
The  present  building  wasopened  for  public  worship  in  April 
1730.  I  have  already  told  you  of  the  manner  in  which  it 
was  jirofaned  by  the  British  soldiers,  during  the  revolution. 
It  is  probably  the  largest  church  in  the  city,  and  is  usually 
selected  for  the  celebration  of  religious  services  on  great 
public  anniversaries. 

12.  Brattle  street  church  was  opened  for  public  worship 
in  1773;  a  wooden  building  built  in  1G99,  formerly  stood  on 
the  same  spot.  Governor  Hancock  was  a  liberal  benefactor 
of  this  church,  and  his  name  was  formerly  inscribed  on  one 
of  the  stones  at  the  south-west  corner  of  the  building.  This 
was  defaced  by  the  British  soldiery,  and  the  stone  remains 
in  the  condition  in  which  they  left  it.  On  the  night  before 
the  evacuation  of  the  town,  during  the  siege  in  1775,  a  shot, 
sent  from  the  American  army  at  Cambridge,  struck  the  tow- 
er. It  was  picked  up  and  preserved,  and  is  now  fastened  to 
the  spot  where  it  struck.  The  head  quarters  of  General 
Gage  were  in  a  house  opposite. 

13.  Trinity  Church  is  a  tine  edifice  of  the  Gothic  order, 


142 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 


in  Summer  street.     It  is  built  of  Quincy  granite,  and  is  re- 
markable for  its  great  beauty,  strength,  and  solidity.   There 


Trinity  Church. 

are  between  forty  and  fifty  other  churches  in  Boston,  some 
of  which  possess  much  architectural  pretension. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

IVIiarvcs.  Schools.  The  Athenamm.  Gallery  of  Paintings. 
Nahant.  Roads.  Cliarlcstoton.  Monument.  Navy  yard. 
State  prison.  Cambridge.  Harvard  College.  Mount  Au- 
burn.    Conclusion.  i 

1.  The  wliarves  of  Boston  are  larger  and  more  con- 
venient than  any  otiiers  in  the  United  States.  Her  com- 
merce is  very  extensive.  Ships  from  her  harbor  plough  the 
waters  of  every  sea,  and  bring  back  the  luxuries  of  foreign 
lands  for  the  enjoyment  of  her  enterprising  citizens.  There 
are  a  great  many  among  her  richest  merchants,  >vho  first 
came  to  the  town  when  poor  boys,  and  who  by  honest  in- 
dustry, have  made  large  fortunes,  and  set  an  example  'vhich 
I  hope  my  young  friends  will  imitate. 

2.  I  must  not  omit  to  say  something  about  the  schools, 
for  Boston  is  very  famous  for  lier  good  public  schools.  In 
these  her  best  citizens  have  lieen  educated.  Every  year 
there  is  a  public  examination  of  the  scholars,  when  prizes 


144  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

are  given  to  those  who  have  been  the  best  and  most  indus- 
trious. The  money  with  which  these  medals  are  bought, 
was  given  by  the  great  FrankUn,  who  left  in  his  will  a  sum 
to  be  expended  for  this  purpose. 

3.  The  Atheneeum  is  a  large  library,  placed  in  a  hand- 
some building  in  one  of  the  finest  streets  of  the  town.  It 
contains  about  28,000  volumes,  and  is  ornamented  with 
statues  and  busts,  copied  from  the  works  of  ancient  sculp- 
tors. To  these,  within  a  few  years,  have  been  added  sever- 
al fine  paintings,  by  foreign  and  American  artists. 

4.  Connected  with  this  establishment  is  a  Gallery  of 
Paintings,  which  is  open  through  the  summer  months. 
Most  of  the  artists  in  the  country  send  their  best  pieces  to 
be  exhibited  here.  This  gallery  is  a  place  of  fashionable 
resort. 

5.  The  roads  leading  to  the  city  are  good,  and  the  sur- 
rounding country  is  famous  for  its  beauty.  On  every  side 
you  see  fine  houses,  gardens,  orchards,  and  cultivated  fields. 
In  summer  there  is  a  steamboat,  plying  once  or  twice  daily, 
to  Nahant,  a  rocky  peninsula,  about  fourteen  miles  from 
the  city,  with  a  fine  beach  connecting  it  to  the  main  land. 
This  peninsula  runs  three  or  four  miles  into  the  sea.  Its 
shores  are  very  bold  and  steep,  presenting  on  all  sides 
masses  of  rugged  and  broken  rocks.  These  rocks  have 
been  worn  by  the  waves  into  the  most  fantastic  shapes. 
When  the  tide  is  high,  and  the  sea  is  swelling,  the  dashing 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  145 

spray  foams  and  sparkles  among  tlieir  caverns,  and  the  roar 
of  tlie  waters  adds  to  the  sublimity  of  the  scene. 

G.  On  the  southern  side  there  is  a  very  curious  grotto, 
known  by  the  name  of  the  Swallow  House.  Its  entrance 
is  five  feet  high,  and  ten  Avide.  The  grotto  is  seventy  feet 
long,  and  increases  in  height  to  twenty  feet.  Great  num- 
bers of  swallows  have  taken  up  their  abode  in  this  cave,  and 
it  is  supposed  by  many  that  they  pass  the  winter  here  in  a 
torpid  state.  The  Spouting  Horn  is  a  deep  chasm  on  the 
north  shore,  into  which,  at  half  tide,  the  water  rushes  with 
great  violence. 

7.  Towards  the  East  lies  the  immense  ocean,  whose 
waves,  whether  in  tranquillity  or  tempest,  present  a  mag. 
nificent  spectacle.  In  a  calm  day,  it  is  delightful  to  gaze 
upon  the  quiet  waters,  covered  with  the  many  vessels,  lazily 
gliding  on  their  path.  A  breeze  comes  up,  and  they  scud 
swiftly  and  bravely  onward,  their  sails  filling  and  swelling, 
while  their  i)roud  keels  spurn  the  waves  that  are  foaming 
in  their  track. 

8.  But  the  clouds  gather,  and  !he  skies  darken  with  a 
gloom  that  shuts  out  every  ray  of  the  sun-light.  The  winds 
rise,  and  the  waters  sound  with  that  sullen  murnnir  which 
is  the  sign  of  an  impending  storm.  The  brave  ships  liurry 
for  the  nearest  port,  or  furl  their  white  sails,  to  ride  out  the 
gale  at  anchor.  Now  is  the  time  to  witness  the  glory  of  the 
ocean,  while  the  tempest  broods  over  it,  and  drives  to  the 
rocky  shores  its  tossing  and  impetuous  waves. 


146  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

9.  You  can  hardly  wonder  that,  with  all  its  sublimity  and 
beauty,  Nahant  has  become  a  place  of  very  great  resort 
during  the  summer  months.  Strangers  from  the  South,  and 
the  inhabitants  of  Boston  and  its  neighborhood,  frequent  it 
in  large  numbers.  There  is  a  spacious  stone  hotel  built 
here  for  their  accommodation,  in  a  commanding  position  ; 
and  we  must  do  them  the  justice  to  suppose  that  they  are  as 
much  attracted  to  this  spot  by  its  natural  beauties,  as  by 
the  sports  of  angling,  riding,  bilHards  and  bowling,  with 
which  they  can  here  at  any  time  amuse  themselves. 

10.  Immediately  connected  with  Boston  by  two  bridges 
is  Charlestown,  a  pleasant,  but  irregular  town,  with  a  popu- 
lation of  about  nine  thousand  inhabitants.  The  more  com- 
pact part  of  this  town  is  built  upon  a  peninsula,  the  centre 
of  which  is  occupied  by  Bunker  Hill.  A  large  monument 
of  gray  granite  was  commenced  some  years  ago  upon  this 
eminence.  Its  height  is  to  be  220  feet,  and  there  is  every 
reason  to  hope  that  it  will  soon  be  finished. 

11.  The  United  States  have  a  navy  yard  in  this  town, 
which  occupies  sixty  acres  of  ground,  and  comprises  a 
great  number  of  arsenals,  magazines  and  barracks.  The 
stocks  for  ship-building  are  covered  with  frame  houses,  large 
enough  to  contain  first-rate  line  of  battle  ships. 

12.  Here  is  the  Dry  Dock,  built  of  hewn  granite,  a  work 
of  immense  extent,  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  ships  of  war 
to  be  repaired.  It  is  sufficiently  spacious  to  admit  the  larg- 
est ship  in  our  navy,  being  three  hundred  and  forty-one  feet 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  147 

in  length,  eighty  wide,  and  thirty  deep.  After  the  ship  is 
floated  into  the  dock,  and  the  gates  closed,  the  water  is 
emptied  by  means  of  an  apparatus,  worked  by  a  steam-en- 
gine of  immense  power.  There  are  eight  pumps,  two  feet 
and  six  inches  in  diameter,  which  discharge  at  every  stroke 
about  a  hogshead  and  a  half  of  water  each  ;  besides  these, 
there  are  eigiit  smaller  pumps. 

13.  The  water  is  first  forced  from  the  dock,  into  wells, 
and  then  into  a  capacious  reservoir,  from  which  it  runs  into 
the  sea.  The  dock  is  provided  with  two  sets  of  gates,  call- 
ed turning  gates,  each  weighing  fifty  tons  ;  besides  these  is 
the  floating  gate,  which  is  built  in  the  shape  of  a  vessel,  and 
is  said  to  contain  timber  enough  to  build  a  ship  of  three 
hundred  and  fifty  tons. 

14.  In  Charlestown  is  the  State  Prison  of  Massachusetts, 
which  consists  of  several  large  piles  of  building,  surrounded 
by  a  lofty  wall.  Nearly  all  the  buildings  are  of  stone.  Of 
the  convicts  confined  here,  some  are  employed  in  hammer- 
ing stone  ;  others  as  tailors,  shoemakers,  and  blacksmiths. 
They  are  dressed  in  clothes  of  various  colors,  and  while  in 
the  yard  are  guarded  by  soldiers  with  loaded  muskets. 

15.  Cambridge  lies  west  of  Boston,  on  the  oj)posite  side 
of  the  river  Charles.  It  has  long  been  celebrated  as  the 
seat  of  Harvard  College.  This  institution  was  founded  a 
great  many  years  ago,  and  many  distinguished  men  have 
been  educated  there.  The  library  luiinbcrs  about  thirty- 
five  thousand  volumes  ;   and  contains  books  of  almost  every 


148  HISTORY    OF    BOSTON. 

age,  and  language.  Some  of  these  languages  are  so  little 
known,  that  I  am  afraid  there  are  a  great  many  more  books 
here,  than  are  ever  read. 

16.  In  Cambridge  is  the  beautiful  wooded  eminence,  call- 
ed Mount  Auburn,  which  has  within  a  few  years  been  con- 
secrated to  the  purposes  of  a  burial-plac^..  It  is  about  four 
miles  distant  from  Boston.  A  high  and  substantial  fence 
has  been  erected  about  it,  having  for  its  principal  entrance 
a  gate-way,  finished  in  the  Egyptian  style,  and  twenty-five 
feet  in  height. 

17.  Part  of  the  tract  borders  upon  the  high-way,  and  this 
has  been  cultivated  as  a  garden.  Within,  lies  the  portion  that 
has  been  marked  out  as  the  cemetery,  or  burial-place.  This 
is  covered,  through  most  of  its  extent,  with  a  vigorous 
growth  of  forest  trees,  many  of  which  are  of  a  large  size, 
comprising  numerous  varieties.  The  grounds  of  the  ceme- 
tery have  been  laid  out  with  curved  and  winding  avenues, 
smoothly  gravelled,  and  to  be  bordered  with  shrubs  and 
flowers.  Family  burial  places  are  set  off"  at  suitable  distan- 
ces, along  the  passage  ways.  Elegant  monuments  of  mar- 
ble and  granite,  have  already  been  erected,  and  others  will 
soon  be  completed. 

18.  This  spot  is  no  where  surpassed.  The  view  from  its 
highest  point  comprises  a  landscape,  of  great  variety  and 
beauty.  Just  below  is  the  winding  Charles,  with  the  culti- 
vated fields  on  its  banks,  beyond  which,  in  the  distance,  rise 
the  hills  of  Milton,  wrapped  in  their  blue  mantle  of  air. 


HISTORY    OF    BOSTON.  149 

19.  On  anotlier  side,  is  a  full  view  of  the  city,  rising  with 
its  spires,  anil  noble  edifices,  in  beautiful  pictures.  The  old 
buildings  of  Harvard  college,  among  the  neat  private  dwell- 
ings of  the  village,  occupy  another  point  of  the  landscape. 
A  pretty  sheet  of  water  lies  at  a  very  short  distance  to  the 
North,  and  villas,  and  country  seats,  in  every  direction,  give 
a  cheerful  and  picturesciue  appearance  to  the  whole  scene. 

20.  Among  tiie  other  towns,  in  the  immediate  neighbor- 
hood of  Boston,  are  Dorchester,  Roxbury,  Brookline,  and 
Chelsea,  all  of  which  arc  ])leasant  and  flourishing  villages, 
ornamented  with  beautiful  residences.  INIany  families  from 
the  city  resort  to  these  towns,  to  pass  the  summer  months. 

21.  I  have  now  finished  all  that  I  have  to  tell  you  of  the 
history  of  Boston.  If  you  have  read  it  with  pleasure,  and 
derived  information  from  it,  my  labor  has  not  been  in  vain. 
Farewell  ! 


QUESTIONS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

1.  Whex  did  tlio  first  settlers  land  at  Plymotitli  ?  Had  this  Con- 
tinent ever  been  visited  before  ?  2.  What  is  said  of  the  3Iay  Flow- 
er ?  3.  When  did  the  pilgrims  land  ?  Who  was  the  first  Governor? 
What  name  did  they  give  to  their  new  home  ?  4.  What  is  said  of 
the  season  which  followed?  The  spring?  5.  Indians?  G.  What 
happened  in  March  ?  What  did  Samoset  relate  ?  7.  Describe  Samo- 
set  ?  y.  What  is  said  of  the  Indian  visitors  ?  9.  English  settle- 
ments ?  10.  11.  12.  Wiiat  happened  at  Mount  Wolaston  ?  13. 
Wliat  is  said  of  tlie  Indians?  14.  What  trade  was  forbidden  by  the 
king  of  England  ?  Who  was  sent  from  Plymouth  to  stop  it?  15. 
How  large  was' the  fleet  about  to  sail  for  America?  Who  were 
on  board  of  it  ?  16,  IIow  was  the  weather  during  the  voyage  ? 
17.  How  were  the  two  quarrelsome  young  men  jMiuished  ?  18. 
How  many  ships  arri\ed  l)y  the  sixth  of  July  ?  Where  did  they  an- 
chor ?  How  many  passengers  had  died  ?  What  took  place  on  the 
eigiitii  ?  19.  Where  did  the  new  settlers  remove  ?  Who  was  ap- 
pointed governor  ?  20.  W^hat  is  said  of  distress  ?  From  what  did 
they  suffer  ?  What  led  to  the  immediate  settlement  of  Boston  ? 


152 


II. 

1.  What  was  the  length  of  the  peninsula  mentioned  ?  Breadth  ? 
Appearance  in  1630  ?  Indian  name  ?  2.  What  had  become  of  the 
Indians  ?  Who  was  tlie  first  white  occupant  ?  3.  Why  did  he  in- 
vite the  Charlestown  settlers  ?  4.  When  was  the  name  of  Boston 
given  to  the  new  settlement  ?  5.  Did  the  sickness  continue  ?  What 
is  said  of  Lady  Johnson  ?     G.  Mr  Johnson  ?     Where  was  he  buried  ? 

7.  What  is  said  of  the  Colonists  ?  Planting?  Provisions?  Winter? 

8.  Fears  of  the  Colonists  ?  Reg)-ets  ?  Confidence  in  heaven  ?  9. 
When  did  the  vessel  arrive  from  England  ?  10.  Welcome  of  their 
new  visitors?  11.  What  punislmient  was  much  in  fashion  at  this 
time?  12.  When  was  the  Blessing  of  the  Bay  laiuiched?  13. 
What  is  said  of  monthly  trainings?  Watchmen?  Mr  Josias?  14. 
Who  were  passengers  in  the  Lion  ?  15.  What  did  the  inhabitants 
detei'mine  upon  ?  16.  What  is  said  of  military  honors?  17.  Presents? 
18.  What  is  said  of  the  increase  of  Boston  ?  19  Give  the  account 
of  the  old  traveller. 

III. 

1.  When  did  Mr  Cotton  arrive  in  Boston  ?  2.  What  is  said  of 
extravagance  ?  Long  veils  ?  3.  Chicatabot  ?  His  visit  with  his 
tribe?  4.  His  dress?  5.  The  Governor's  present?  Its  return? 
7.  What  story  is  told  in  this  paragraph  ?  8.  When  did  Mr 
Vane  arrive  ?  What  was  his  character  ?  9.  What  is  said  of  Mi's 
Hutchinson?  10.  What  party  did  Govcraor  Vane  join?  11.  De- 
scribe the  May  Election.  19.  When  did  Mr  Vane  return  to  Eng- 
land ?  What  was  his  fate  ?  ]3.  What  became  of  Mrs  Hutchinson  ? 
14.  What  is  sal.l  of  tlie  winter  of  1637?  14.  15.  16.  What  is  rela- 
ted in  these  paragraphs?  17.  May  Muster?  19.  Other  trainings  ? 
20.  What  story  is  told  in  the  rest  of  the  chapter  ? 


153 


IV. 

1.  What  is  said  of  the  increase  of  the  town  ?  Occupation  of  the 
iiihahitaiits  ?  2.  When  did  Governor  Wintliroj)  dit;  ?  What  is  said 
of  his  cliaractcr?  3.  4.  Anecdote?  5.  Appearance?  Memory? 
6.  What  is  said  of  Mr  Cotton  ?  7.  What  took  place  in  1G55  ?  8. 
Wlio  suffered?  10.  For  what  supposed  crime  was  Mi-s  Ilihhins 
prosecuted?  What  was  lier  fate?  11.  What  are  the  reflections  in 
this  paragraph  ?     12.  What  farther  is  said  of  witchcraft  ? 


1.  Was  Boston  ever  much  troubled  by  the  Indians  ?  2.  What  is 
said  of  the  native  tribes?  3.  Their  conduct  in  1670  ?  Kinjf  Pliihp? 
4.  His  character?  His  rank  among  the  Indians?  5.  His  jilot? 
6.  Acts  of  violence?  7.  What  is  said  of  Cajitain  Henchman?  En- 
sign Savage?  8.  Rout  of  the  Indian  tribes?  The  affair  at  Mendon  ? 
9.  Anecdote?  10.  Farther  Indian  encounters  ?  11.  Death  of  Phil- 
ip ?  Relics  of  this  king  ?     12.  One-eyed  John  ? 

VI. 

].  What  is  said  of  Mr  Leverett  ?  2.  Describe  the  great  fire  of 
1679.  What  is  said  of  the  houses  built  after  this  fire  ?  3.  What 
were  the  Chartei-s  of  the  colonies  ?  4.  When  was  Ajulros  ai)j)oint- 
ed  governor?  What  authority  was  given  to  him?  5.  Relate  tlie 
story  of  the  Connecticut  charter.  6.  What  is  said  of  James  II?  Of 
the  prince  of  Orange  ?  7.  What  proclamation  did  Andros  issue  ? 
What  followed  ?  8.  Return  of  the  Governor  ?  9.  What  is  said  of 
Sir  William  Phif)s?  10.  Relate  the  story  of  the  wreck.  What 
houoi-s  did  Sir  WiUiam  receive  ?     11.  What  happened  m  Ijis  new 

11 


154 

office  ?  When  was  he  appointed  governor  ?  19.  Describe  his  arrival 
in  Boston.  13.  What  is  said  of  his  character  ?  Death  ?  14.  What 
is  said  in  this  paragraph  ?  15.  For  what  is  the  year  1704  remark- 
able ?  16.  Wlien  was  Benjamin  Franklin  born  ?  Where  ?  17.  What 
is  said  of  his  brother  ?  Of  himself ,' 

VII. 

1.  What  is  said  of  the  independence  of  our  ancestors  ?  2.  Of 
Commodore  Knowles  and  his  fleet  ?  3.  What  violence  was  prac- 
tised by  his  ortler  ?  4.  To  what  did  it  lead  ?  5  — 10.  Describe 
briefly  tlie  progress  of  the  citizens'  violence.  11.  What  measures 
were  adopted  by  the  governor  ?  The  Commodore  7  12.  By  the 
council  ?  Representatives  ?  13.  Inhabitants  ?  14.  Conclusion  of 
the  affau*  ?     15.  What  is  said  of  the  old  Town  House  ? 

VIII. 

1.  What  is  said  of  the  times  ?  2.  Where  was  James  Otis  bom  ? 
What  is  said  of  him?  3.  What  plan  did  Great  Britain  forai  in 
1759?  What  were  writs  of  assistance?  4.  What  is  said  of  this 
power  ?  What  was  the  conduct  of  Mr  Otis  ?  5.  What  is  said  of 
him  ?  The  trial  ?  The  Judges  ?  6.  Interest  felt  in  the  cause.  7.  By 
whom  was  the  cause  argued  ?  8.  What  did  President  Adams  say 
of  Mr  Otis?  9.  What  became  of  the  writs?  What  is  said  of  par- 
ties? 10.  When  did  King  George  consent  to  the  stamp  act? 
What  was  this  act  ?  11.  On  Avhat  documents  was  the  stamp  to  be 
put  ?  12.  What  is  said  of  Liberty  Tree  ?  The  fourteenth  of  Au- 
gust ?^  Images  ?  1-3.  State  of  public  feeling  durhig  the  day  ?  14, 
15.  ]6.  Violence  of  the  mob? 


155 


IX. 

1.  What  is  said  of  public  excitement?  2.  What  is  said  of  another 
mob?  3.  4.  5.  Describe  its  progress.  0.  What  is  said  of  Mr  Ilutcii- 
bison  ?  7.  What  happened  on  the  approach  of  the  mob?  8.  De- 
scril)e  the  violence  of  the  mob.  9.  Wliat  great  loss  is  mentioned  ? 
10.  What  measures  were  taken  by  the  citizens?  AVhat  is  said  of 
Stamps  ?  12.  AVhat  was  the  declaration  of  Mr  Oliver  ?  13.  AVliat 
happened  in  Februaiy?  14.  What  news  was  received  in  May? 
How  did  it  affect  the  people  ?  What  took  place  ?  15.  What  hap- 
pened on  the  nineteenth  ?  IG.  What  is  said  of  Liberty  Tree  ?  Illu- 
minations? 17.  What  is  related  in  this  pai-agraph?  18.  What  is 
said  of  Libeily  Tree  ? 

X. 

1.  What  is  said  of  resistance  ?  2.  The  seizure  of  John  Han- 
cock's sloop?  3.  Indignation  of  the  people?  4.  Bonfire?  5. 
Course  pursued  l)y  General  Gage?  Arrival  of  British  Trooj)S  ?  G. 
Landing  and  parade  of  the  regiments  ?  7.  Difliculties?  Quarters  of 
the  soldiers?  Signs  of  war?  8.  Tea?  9.  Attack  of  Mr  Otis? 
10.  Quarrel?  11.  Its  result?  Generous  conduct  of  Otis?  12. 
Agreement  of  merchants?  13.  What  is  tolfl  in  this  paragraph? 
14.  Conduct  of  Richardson ?  Of  the  mob?  Quarrel?  15.  Unfortu- 
nate issue  of  this  aflair?  IG.  Describe  the  funeral.  The  inscrip- 
tions on  the  Coffin  ?  17.  What  is  said  of  fiiis  scene  ?  Origin  of  tiic 
Fif^h  of  March  massacre?  18  —  21.  Tell  the  story  of  ihc  Fiftli  of 
March,  briefly,  in  your  own  words,  as  if  you  were  descril)ing  it  to  a 
companion.  22.  What  is  said  of  the  Funeral?  23.  Trial  and  ac- 
quittal of  the  soldiers  ? 


156 


XL 

1. — 4.  Relate  the  anecdote  of  the  Boston  boys?  5.  What  license 
was  granted  to  the  English  E.  I.  Company  ?  What  is  said  of  Ame- 
rican merchants  ?  Meetuigs  in  Boston  ?  6.  What  did  the  Bostonians 
determme  about  the  tea  ?  7.  What  application  was  made  to  the 
governor  ?  What  was  his  answer  ?  8.  9.  What  is  related  in  these 
paragraphs?  10.  What  is  said  of  this  affair?  11.  How  was  this 
affair  received  in  England?  What  bill  was  passed  by  parliament? 
What  were  its  effects?  12.  What  is  said  of  the  troops ?  Their  de- 
predations ?  13.  Conduct  of  the  inhabitants  of  Cambridge  ?  14. 
The  provincial  congress  ?  15.  What  is  said  of  this  assembly  ?  Com- 
mittee of  safety  ?  16.  What  is  said  of  the  state  of  affairs  ?  17. 
What  was  the  number  of  i-egiments  in  Boston  at  the  close  of  1774  ? 

XII. 

1.  2.  Describe  the  exploit  of  Colonel  Nesbit  ?  3.  On  what  day 
was  the  battle  of  Lexington?  Describe  its  commencement  ?  4.  How 
did  it  terminate ?  Subsequent  attack ?  Reinforcement?  5.  Describe 
the  retreat  of  the  regular  troops  ?  6.  What  is  said  of  the  excite- 
ment in  New  England  ?  Boston  ?  Liberty  Poles  ?  7.  The  govern- 
or's proclamation  ?  8.  Bunker's  Hill  ?  Entrenchments  ?  9.  Can- 
nonade ?  Increase  of  the  provincial  army  ?  10.  Describe  the  pro- 
gress of  the  battle  ?  11.  Thhd  assault?  12.  What  is  said  of  Gene- 
ral Warren  ?  13.  What  is  said  of  the  battle,  and  fire  of  Charles- 
tOAvn  ?  14.  Where  were  the  British  regular  troops  posted  ?  The 
provincials  ?  Condition  of  Boston  ?  15.  When  did  Washington 
take  command  ?  Where  did  he  fix  his  head  quarters  ?  16.  Who 
succeeded  General  Gage  in  command  of  the  army  ?  What  procla- 
mation was  issued  ?     17.  What  was  the  state  of  tilings  in  Boston  ? 


157 


XIII. 

1.  Wliat  anecdote  is  related  ?  2.  How  did  the  soMiers  procure 
fuel?  3.  How  was  the  Old  Soutli  ])rofanod?  4.  AVliat  took  place 
on  the  ninth  of  February  ?  5.  (i.  What  amusing  incident  is  con- 
nected with  this  aflair?  7.  How  large  was  the  American  army? 
7,  8.  When  and  in  what  manner  did  the  Americans  take  possession 
of  Dorchester  heights?  What  was  General  Howe's  observation? 
9.  What  followed  ?  On  what  did  General  Howe  determine  ?  10. 
What  offer  was  mad(!  to  General  Washington  ?  11.  When  did  the 
British  army  leave  lioston  ?  V2.  Wiiat  is  said  of  the  entry  of  the 
American  ti'oops  ?     13.  Destruction  Ijy  the  British  troops  ?  Trees? 

XIV. 

1.  What  is  said  of  the  Inhabitants  of  Boston  ?  The  firet  govern- 
or? 2.  Proclamation  of  peace  ?  4.  Where  and  when  was  Josiah 
Quincy,  Jr,  born  ?  What  is  said  of  him  ?  5.  His  defence  of  the  sol- 
diei-s?  What  was  his  course  of  life  till  1772?  G.  His  health?  Ilia 
labors?  7.  A  menacing  letter?  8.  His  reply?  [).  His  visit  to 
England?  10.  Return  and  death  ?  11.  When  did  James  Otis  re- 
tire from  public  life  ?  What  was  the  state  of  his  mind  ?  12.  At  what 
age  and  when  did  he  die  ? 

xv: 

1.  What  is  said  of  Hancock  and  Adams?  2.  When  was  Han- 
cock born?  WMiat  is  said  of  his  education  ?  3.  His  fortune?  4.  His 
business  luid  influence  ?  5.  What  anecdote  is  related  by  President 
Adams?  G.  What  is  said  of  his  election  to  the  legislature?  His 
popularity?  7.  Proclamation  of  Gi'iieral  Gage?  8.  When  was 
Hancock  sent  to  the  congress  at  Philadelphia  ?     What  farther  is  re- 


158 

lated  ?  9.  What  office  did  he  afterwards  hold  m  his  native  state  ? 
When  did  he  die  ?  10.  What  anecdote  is  here  related  ?  11.  What 
is  said  of  his  genei'osity  ?    12.  His  chai-acter  and  manner  of  life  ? 

XVI. 

1.  When  was  Samuel  Adams  born  ?  What  is  said  of  him  ?  2. 
What  was  Hutchinson's  opinion  of  him  ?  3.  What  is  said  of  Mr 
Adams  ?  4.  5.  What  anecdote  is  related  in  these  paragi-aphs  ?  6. 
What  proposition  was  made  by  Governor  Gage  ?  7.  How  was  it 
received  ?  8.  What  is  said  of  Mr  Adams's  public  life  ?  9.  His 
opinions  and  character  ?  10.  Mention  the  contents  of  this  para- 
graph, 

XVII. 

1.  What  is  said  of  luxury  ?  2.  Of  Hackney  Coaches  ?  3.  What 
was  the  usual  dress  of  gentlemen,  eighty  years  ago  ?  Of  boys  ?  4. 
Of  wedding  di-esses  ?  5.  What  is  related  in  this  paragrajih  ?  6. 
What  is  said  in  this  of  articles  of  dress  ?  Of  the  markets  ?  8.  9. 
What  story  is  hei-e  related  ?  10.  What  is  said  of  the  Old  State 
House?  11.  Modes  of  punishment ?  12.  Beacon  Hill?  13.  The 
beacon  P 

XVIII. 

1.  Did  Boston  suffer  much  during  the  late  war  ?  2.  What  is  said 
of  the  Chesapeake  ?  3.  The  Shannon  ?  4.  The  challenge,  and  its 
acceptance  ?  5.  View  of  the  battle  ?  7.  Give  an  account  of  the 
battle  ?  8.  What  is  said  of  Captain  Lawrence  ?  9.  Of  his  dying 
message  ?  His  burial  ?  Memory  ? 


159 


XIX. 

1.  What  is  described  in  this  Chapter  ?  2.  Where  was  Lafayette 
born  ?  At  what  age  did  ho  leave  France  ?  3.  What  is  said  of  him  ? 
4.  When  diil  he  revisit  this  country?  5.  How  was  he  received? 
6.  How  by  the  citizens  of  BofSton  ?  10.  11,  Describe  his  entry  to 
the. city.  12.  What  is  said  of  public  favor?  13.  14,  15.  IG.  De- 
scribe the  procession  to  Bunker  Hill.  17.  What  is  said  of  the  Pre- 
sidents ? 

XX. 

1.  What  is  said  of  the  progress  of  Boston?  2.  Of  avenues  to  the 
city  ?  3.  Bridges  ?  Dam  ?  Rail-roads  ?  Ferry  ?  4.  Ai)proach  from 
the  sea?  5.  Viewof  the  City  ?  G,  Harbor?  7.  Recollections?  8, 
DcsQci^e  the  strajiger's  reflections,  10.  What  issaiil  of  Faneuil  Hall 
Market?  11,  When  was  it  built?  12,  What  is  said  of  Faneuil 
Hall?  13.  Its  length?  Ornaments?  14.  May  Fair?  15.  IG.  17. 
Describe  tliis  ocrasion.  18.  What  is  said  of  tiie  Institution  for  the 
Blind  ?  19.  Amusement  and  education  of  the  children  ?  20.  Re- 
flections ? 

XXI, 

1.  What  is  said  of  the  north  part  of  the  to^vn  ?  2.  The  West  ? 
3.  4.  Tlie  Common?  5.  Remains  of  foitiiications ?  Trees?  6. 
State  House  ?  When  was  its  corner  stone  laid  ?  7.  How  high  is  ita 
dome  ?  What  is  said  of  the  view  from  this  eminence  ?  8.  Of  Tre- 
mont  House  ?  Theatre  ?  9.  Stone  Chapel  ?  10.  Park  street  Church  ? 
Granaiy  buryiug-ground?  11.  Old  South?  12.  Brattle  street 
Church  ?     13.  Trinity  Church  ? 


160 


XXII. 

1.  What  is  said  of  the  wharves  of  Boston  ?  Commerce  ?  2. 
Schools?  Franklin  Medals?  3.  The  Atlieiifeum?  4.  Gallery  of 
Paintings  ?  5.  The  surrounduig  country  ?  Nahant  ?  6.  Swallow 
House  ?  Spouting  Horn  ?  9.  Attractions  of  Nahant  ?  10.  Charles- 
town?  Monument?  11.  Navy  yard  ?  12.  The  Dry  Dock?  What 
are  its  dimensions  ?  13.  How  is  the  water  emptied  from  the  Dock  ? 
What  is  said  of  the  State  Prison  ?  15.  Cambridge  ?  For  what  is  it 
famous  ?  How  large  is  the  library  of  Harvard  College  ?  16.  What 
is  said  of  Mount  Auburn  ?  17.  The  garden  ?  The  Cemeteiy  ?  18. 
19.  The  view  from  this  spot  ?  20.  Other  towns  in  the  neighbor- 
hood?   21.  Conclusion? 


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